A BBC investigation has uncovered a disturbing rise in very young children bringing knives to primary schools across England and Wales, with police logging assaults by a four-year-old in Kent and a six-year-old with a flick knife in the West Midlands.

1,304 knife-related offenses were recorded in educational settings last year.

The probe, based on Freedom of Information requests from 41 of 43 forces, revealed 10 percent of incidents involved primary-age pupils, predominantly boys, with weapons ranging from machetes to kitchen knives.

In one case, a five-year-old in Cheshire brought a kitchen blade to "show friends," while another six-year-old in the West Midlands planned to "kill" a peer. Reporting inconsistencies persist, as the age of criminal responsibility is 10, often routing cases to social services.

The findings hit hard for families like that of Harvey Willgoose, a 15-year-old stabbed to death in February at Sheffield's All Saints Catholic High School by a fellow pupil wielding a hunting knife. His mother, Caroline, who had flagged her son's fears to authorities without action, demands nationwide metal detectors: "Kids are going to school frightened... It's a gang-culture thing now inside schools."

Harvey, described as "sweet and caring," turned secretive amid threats, highlighting grooming risks.

Three Sheffield teens interviewed by the BBC admitted carrying blades for "protection" after attacks, with one 15-year-old buying a 12-inch knife for £30 following a death threat. Gym owner Trevor Chrouch, mentoring at-risk youth through self-defense classes, noted: "Kids bring knives like their phone—scared, not safe."

Beacon Hill Academy in Dudley installed metal detectors amid West Midlands' high rates, with students like 16-year-old Evie feeling both "scary" and "reassuring."

The government reiterated its "mission to halve knife crime," empowering schools for security like arches, while the Association of School and College Leaders urged societal fixes beyond policing cuts.

As offenses climb—serious cases up despite total dips—the crisis tests UK's youth safety net, where fear trumps learning.