A quarter of schools called police after children brought in blades and other deadly weapons last year.
Most were kitchen knives, flick knives or assault knives – and a third of those carrying them were aged 12 or under.
Other weapons included a samurai sword, a machete, BB guns, air pistols, nunchucks, knuckledusters and pepper spray. One girl of 13 was armed with a Molotov cocktail firebomb while a lad the same age had a water pistol filled with bleach.
And an 11-year-old boy had a rock in a sock.
We contacted all 3,444 secondary and 100 middle schools in England and 934 replied to our Freedom of Information request.
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Police went to 249 at least once in the year to May to tackle pupils with weapons. Boys accounted for 202 cases, girls 56. And 68 schools had to call police more than once.
King’s Academy in Gosport, Hants, reported that four boys and two girls were found with blades in 12 months.
The majority of cases involved boys carrying knives (Getty Images/iStockphoto)At Blackminster Middle School in Evesham, Worcestershire, a girl and a boy, both 10, were found with knives.
The 13-year-old girl with a Molotov cocktail was nicked at Parkside Community School in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, where a slightly older boy was found to be carrying a knife.
And a boy of 12 had a 21cm samurai sword at The National Church of England Academy in Hucknall, Notts.
Patrick Green, of the Ben Kinsella Trust, which combats knife crime through education and campaigning, called the figures “concerning”.
The charity was set up in the wake of the murder of Ben Kinsella, 16, brother of ex-EastEnders star Brooke, by three men in Islington, North London, in 2008.
Mr Green said: “A recent Ben Kinsella Trust report found that a worrying 25% of young people believe, mistakenly, that carrying a knife keeps them safe.”
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Knife crime among young people is becoming an epidemic under the Tories and they are failing to act
“Labour will crack down on online sales and ensure there are proper sanctions for anyone caught carrying a knife.
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“We will bring in a network of new youth hubs and crack down on gangs drawing children into crime.”
Knife crime in schools hit the headlines in April when two teachers and a student were stabbed at Amman Valley School in Ammanford, Wales.
A 14-year-old girl faces three charges of attempted murder.
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