Scottish teachers could get more powers to search pupils suspected of carrying weapons, following an inquiry into the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Bailey Gwynne (pictured).

The final report of the inquiry - published today - recommends that the Scottish government look at changing the law to allow school staff to search pupils against their will. It also recommends that the government takes steps to limit the purchase of weapons online.

The report concludes that the killing might have been avoided if pupils who knew that Bailey’s killer carried weapons in school had reported that information to staff.

At present in Scotland pupils can only be searched by school staff if they agree. If they refuse, schools can contact parents or the police to carry out a search.

In 2007 headteachers in England were granted the power to search pupils suspected of having weapons and in 2010 the power was extended to include drugs, alcohol and stolen goods. However, the Scottish government has always resisted a similar move.

Child protection expert Andrew Lowe today published his report into 16-year-old Bailey’s death at Aberdeen’s Cults Academy in October last year.

Bailey’s killer, who is aged 16 and cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for nine years in March after being found guilty of culpable homicide at the High Court in Aberdeen.

Weapons ‘should have been reported’

Mr Lowe, chairman of child and adult protection for Renfrewshire, concluded that the incident that led to the stabbing could not have been “predicted or averted on the day” and that it was “an unplanned, spontaneous conflict that emerged rapidly out of an unexceptional banter”.

However, he added that the course of the conflict was “fatally altered” because Bailey’s killer was carrying “a bladed weapon”. If those who knew he carried weapons in school had reported it to staff the tragedy was “potentially predictable and avoidable”, Mr Lowe said.

Mr Lowe welcomed the work in Aberdeen to develop a knife crime strategy involving parents, pupils and police. He recommended that pupil forums and pupil councils be encouraged to develop safe ways to enable pupils to report weapons being carried on school premises.

He also recommended:

• That the council work with police to establish a clear policy on the management of offensive weapons in school;
• That risk assessments be carried out on all individuals known or suspected to carry offensive weapons;
• That age-appropriate training be delivered to P7, S1 and S5 pupils to support the knife crime strategy.

The Aberdeen chief officers’ group, which includes representatives from the police, council and NHS, said it was committed to taking forward all the recommendations.

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES on Twitter and like TES on Facebook