Skip to main content

Advice for school and college staff on when it is appropriate to contact the police.

This advice is aimed at school and college staff with responsibility for behaviour management, including Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs), their deputies, headteachers and Senior Leadership teams in schools and colleges.

The advice covers incidents on school and college premises where students have potentially committed a crime. It provides guidance on what schools and colleges should bear in mind when considering contacting the police. This covers the following situations:

  • assault
  • criminal damage
  • cyber crime
  • drugs
  • harassment
  • sexual offences
  • theft
  • weapons

The full guidance document 'When to call the Police: Guidance for Schools and Colleges', which can be viewed on the National Police Chiefs' Council website, aims to support schools and college to make defensible decisions when considering whether to involve the police.

Additional information and resources

Search the crime map for your area

Download police data

National Crime Agency threat reports

Also see