The Government “won’t hesitate” to increase security in schools if shortcomings are identified by the investigation into the Brent stabbings, says a minister.
Schools standards minister Georgia Gould, MP for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale, told how the attacks at Kingsbury High School, Brent, north-west London, had “sent shockwaves” through the local community.
She stressed that measures to stop youngsters taking knives into schools were already in place, with headteachers able to install knife arches if they believed they were needed.
“But in light of what’s happened...we will look into what’s happened, the investigation, and if there’s more that needs to be done, we won’t hesitate to do that,” Ms Gould, a former leader of Camden council, told Sky News.
Police were on Wednesday continuing to question a 13-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, as counter terrorism officers lead an investigation into the school stabbing of two boys.
Officers were called to Kingsbury High School at 12.40pm on Tuesday, to reports that a 13-year-old boy was stabbed.
Officers found a 12-year-old boy had also been stabbed.
According to reports, the offender “climbed over a wall” to gain entry to the school and one of the victims alerted teachers to the attack by pulling the fire alarm.
Ms Gould stressed: “It’s just an absolutely horrendous incident that has sent shockwaves through the community and all of our thoughts are with the two young victims and and their families.”
She sought to reassure worried parents and pupils by explaining that the suspected perpetrator was in police custody.
Asked whether knife arches should be installed in schools across the country, Ms Gould told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Knife arches are something that schools can use.”
But she said there were no plans for a nationwide roll-out of arches.
“I really think we need to not accept that this is something that can routinely happen, that children are carrying knives, we have to deal with the root causes of this,” she added.
“Our real focus has been on reducing knife crime.
“We have been working really closely across Brent where this incident happened with the violence reduction unit to do that, to put more support in for young people, and to work closely with schools.”
But pressed about several stabbings of youngsters, she accepted: “More has to be done to protect children, that is why knife violence has been one of the key priorities of this Government.
“This is something we’re taking incredibly seriously.”
The headteacher of the school, Alex Thomas, said the Lower School would be closed on Wednesday and students should stay at home, but the Upper School would be open for students in Years 10-13.
Kingsbury High School is an academy school serving children aged 11 to 18, with both upper and lower sites.
According to the latest Department for Education information, it has 1,997 pupils.
It traces its origins to Kingsbury County School, which opened in 1925 in a building which had been the office of the former Aircraft Manufacturing Company. It moved premises in 1932.
Alumni include Wham’s George Michael, jazz musician Courtney Pine, Floyd Steadman, the first black captain of the Saracens rugby team, and writer Ekow Eshun.
