One said the way the incident was reported to police was ‘deeply concerning’
Bridge Learning Campus
Police are investigating reports that a Year 6 pupil at Bridge Learning Campus in South Bristol threatened other pupils with a knife after school on Friday, outside the school grounds.
The incident was reported to police, and primary headteacher Vourneen Carter reassured parents in a message about the incident, but many parents said they were concerned about the incident and told the school on Monday their children would not be attending school until they were reassured they would be safe.
The incident is understood to have happened outside the school gates at the end of the school day on Friday, and involved a group of four primary school age boys who said they were threatened with a knife by another pupil.
Parents replying to Mrs Carter’s message on Monday morning said they were reluctant to send their children into school on Monday and today, Tuesday, and questions have been asked about the school’s response to the incident in the minutes afterwards, but a spokesperson for the school said they ensured ‘everyone is safe and well’.
In a message on Monday to parents and carers, seen by Bristol Live, Mrs Carter said: “We are writing to reassure you following an incident that occurred on Friday when a child in Year 6 made threats to two other pupils after school.
“The two students came back into school to report the incident and stayed with staff whilst parents/carers were contacted. The Y6 pupil was also brought back into school with a parent and the incident was fully investigated.
“Appropriate actions have already been taken and support is in place for all children involved, including from Bristol City Council’s Safeguarding In Education team. We understand that hearing about such events can be concerning, and we want to assure you that all students were kept safe throughout the incident,” she said, adding that if parents had questions or concerns the school had weekly drop-in sessions already planned for Monday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon.
Bridge Learning Campus is an all-through school with a primary school and secondary school on the same site in Hartcliffe. One of the concerns some parents shared with Bristol Live was the way the school initially dealt with the incident after it happened on Friday afternoon.
Bristol Live understands that when two of the threatened pupils returned to school and explained what had happened, and that there was a pupil with a knife in the area, the police were not immediately called, but a report was made to police using an online form on Avon and Somerset’s website on Friday evening.
That meant officers did not attend the school until Monday. “We received an online report informing us that a child reportedly had in their possession a kitchen knife outside a school in South Bristol on Friday 20 June,” a spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said.
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“We are not aware of anyone being injured and officers have attended the school yesterday (Monday, June 23) and today (Tuesday, June 24) to speak with staff and parents/carers following the incident.
“Officers have ensured that appropriate information has been shared with partner agencies and that effective measures are in place to safeguard all children,” she added. “High visibility reassurance patrols have been conducted by our Neighbourhood Policing Team in and around the school area and enquiries are ongoing.
“We recognise how concerning an incident of this nature can be for parents, carers, and school staff. However, we would like to reassure them that incidents of this nature are rare,” she added.
One parent at the school who said she was concerned was Shanine Wright, whose brother Darrien Williams was murdered in a knife crime incident in St Jude’s in early 2024. Ms Wright sits on the Government’s Knife Crime Coalition, and said the school confirmed to her there were ‘multiple reports of a knife on site’.
She described the way the incident was reported to police as ‘deeply concerning’. “This resulted in the child leaving the premises to walk home potentially in possession of a bladed article,” she said.
“I’ve called for a formal review of the school’s communication policy when incidents of this severity take place. I welcome the school’s response, and I hope they act swiftly and transparently moving forward,” she added.
Shanine Wright, the big sister of Darrian Williams, gives a powerful speech about him and knife crime at the city’s first official service to remember the victims of knife crime in Bristol(Image: Leanne Reynolds)
Bristol Live asked Bridge Learning Campus about its response to the incident, and a spokesperson for the school told Bristol Live: “The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is our highest priority, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards for conduct in and outside of school. As soon as this was brought to our attention, we took immediate action in line with our established safeguarding procedures, and everyone is safe and well.
“While incidents such as this are incredibly rare, we treat them with the utmost seriousness, and a comprehensive investigation is underway. We will continue to keep our families updated and provide support. We encourage any parents with questions to speak with the school,” they added.