Offensive weapon on school premises 822/2025

FOI Reference: 822/2025

Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide the following information broken down by the school academic years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.

1 - The number of pupils aged 18 and under recorded as being in possession of an offensive weapon on a school premises (primary and secondary schools only) during the academic years outlined above.

2 – Please provide a breakdown of the number of offences which took place in a primary school setting and the number of offences which took place in a secondary school setting

3 - A list of the type of weapons involved -  i.e – knife, machete, knuckle duster, firearm, hammer etc

4  – A breakdown of the ages of pupils involved provided in the following two age categories:

Age 4-11

Age 12-18

5 – The age of the youngest pupil recorded as being in possession of an offensive weapon on school premises (primary and secondary schools only) for the academic years outlined above (this does not need to be broken down by academic year) and the type of weapon involved.

Clarification received.

To clarify a time frame please can you class the academic year as being from 1 September to 31 August.

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Response Q1

1^st Sept 2022 – 31^st Aug 2023 – 2

1^st Sept 2023 – 31^st Aug 2024 – 3

1^st Sept 2024 – 19th Aug 2025 (Not a full year) – 4

Response Q2

All above took place in secondary school setting.

Response Q3

1^st Sept 2022 – 31^st Aug 2023 – 2 (2x Knives)

1^st Sept 2023 – 31^st Aug 2024 – 3 (1x BB Gun, 1x Knuckleduster, 1x Scissors)

1^st Sept 2024 – 19th Aug 2025 (Not a full year) – 4 (4x Knives)

Response Q4

1^st Sept 2022 – 31^st Aug 2023 – 2 (2x Aged 12-18)

1^st Sept 2023 – 31^st Aug 2024 – 3 (1x Aged 4-11, 2x Aged 12-18)

1^st Sept 2024 – 19th Aug 2025 (Not a full year) – 4 (4x Aged 12-18)

Response Q5

Age 11 (BB Gun involved in the offence `Possessing firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence’ in secondary school setting)

Please note:

Volumes above are all possession of weapon offences whereby the suspect was 18 or under

It should be noted that as a result of the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such information that the information released may or may not be accurate.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 04/09/2025)