February 06, 2026 - 203 views
New all-Wales guidance is being developed to help schools deal with incidents involving weapons, following growing concerns about safety in education settings.
The work is being led by Cardiff Council and builds on guidance it introduced in autumn 2025 to support schools in the city. That guidance will now form the basis of a consistent national approach for schools across Wales.
The new resources are being developed as part of an action agreed at the National Behaviour Summit in 2025. They are designed to give schools simple and practical advice on how to respond when a pupil brings a weapon onto school premises, or is suspected of being in possession of one.
Cardiff Council will work with other local authorities, police, education partners and community organisations across Wales. The process will also involve listening to young people, families and communities, and will draw on the latest evidence and best practice.
The guidance will be based on Cardiff’s existing Weapons in Schools and Education Settings (WISES) protocol. This will be adapted so it can be used by schools and local authorities throughout Wales.
The new resources will support existing Welsh Government guidance, which already allows schools to search pupils suspected of carrying a weapon and sets out when reasonable force can be used. The aim is to ensure a consistent, fair and trauma-informed approach, while making sure staff and learners are safeguarded and supported — including pupils found to be carrying a weapon.
Cardiff’s original guidance was developed with a wide range of partners, including South Wales Police, school governors, trade unions, youth services and violence prevention specialists, with children and young people also involved in the process.
Cardiff Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Sarah Merry, welcomed the decision to use the city’s approach as the basis for national guidance. She said it was a strong endorsement of the work carried out with schools and communities and would help keep pupils and staff safe across Wales.
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Education Lynne Neagle said all learners and school staff have the right to feel safe and respected. She said schools in Wales already have powers to search pupils suspected of carrying weapons, and the new resources would provide greater clarity for schools, families and learners.
She added that sharing best practice was a key outcome of the National Behaviour Summit, and that rolling out a national approach would build on work already welcomed by schools and families. The Welsh Government will provide up to £300,000 over the next 12 months to support the development of the resources, with the aim of making them fully available across Wales in 2027.
The new guidance is intended to help schools work more closely with families and other services, ensuring the right support is in place while keeping schools safe places to learn and work.
