Written question WQ98384

All pupils, teachers and school staff have the right to a respectful and safe environment. We are taking forward a range of actions to ensure that schools and all educational settings remain safe and protective environments for learners and staff.

I provided an update on the actions taken following the National Behaviour Summitt in February. We are working with Cardiff Council to develop a consistent national approach for schools to manage incidents involving learners who bring weapons onto school premises, or who are reasonably suspected of being in possession of a weapon. A Behaviour Toolkit was published in September 2025, and we are updating guidance on exclusions. I also issued a statement on the use of mobile phones in schools.

Our Emergency Planning and Response guidance supports schools and local authorities to plan for and deal with public health and other emergencies that may lead to the temporary closure of classrooms or schools.

We are taking a range of actions in relation to safeguarding in education. This includes the Safeguarding Governance Review, the Safeguarding in Education Review, and our actions to address variability in safeguarding practice and assurance across the education system. We are also updating our national safeguarding guidance to embed a stronger child‑centred approach.

We also provide practical advice on managing online trends, supporting affected learners and staff, and communicating with parents and carers through our Keeping safe online area on Hwb. We also provide app guides to support understanding of the online environments in which these trends emerge.