People used to ask what a Violence Reduction Unit had to do with education.

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We were quizzed on why we were focusing interventions on children as young as six or seven in primary school, and what that had to do with tackling knife crime and violence.

We always knew that school exclusions and violence were linked, but last year, hard evidence proved that a young person excluded from mainstream education is twice as likely to be involved in violence within 12 months.

It’s the reason why working with schools and putting some of our emphasis on prevention in schools remains important. The VRU treats inclusive education not as an academic luxury, but as a critical public safety intervention. Children are undeniably safer in school.

To act on this, we established London's Inclusion Charter in 2024. It builds on the existing work by schools and local authorities across London and is now supported by nearly all London Boroughs and 30 national charities. It’s underpinned by principles that prioritise education that is fully inclusive, fair, and available to all.

The Charter is backed up by £16m of investment from the Mayor of London in a range of interventions to achieve those ambitions. And we're seeing progress.

The data tells a........

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