The will no longer deliver presentations in schools on violence against women and girls as part as PSHE lessons, Schools Week can reveal. The force has 鈥渁greed that these sensitive subjects may be better handled by specialists, as they can require specific expertise and pastoral support beyond the initial presentation鈥. It comes after the force has already scrapped its Safer Schools Officer role, moving them into local policing teams in May. The force was also found to be institutionally racism, misogyny and homophobia following Baroness Casey’s review in 2023. had called for police to reduce their presence in schools, most principally in delivering lessons around sensitive topic areas. A Liberty spokesperson said the organisation 鈥渨elcomed鈥 the news and urged other forces to follow suit. Police in schools today Schools are currently part of the Safer School Partnership (SSP) model, first developed in Hackney in 2002. As part of this, a local police officer is designated a point of contact at each school. The Safer Schools Officer role was dissolved by the Met in May. The SSP model has 鈥渧ery little evidence鈥 it is achieving its intended outcomes to reduce crime and fear of crime within school communities, according to a report by human rights organisation Liberty. There is no national policy on schools policing, meaning activities by a local officer can vary widely across regions, and their individual approach to their role. A toolkit for the SSP given to schools encourages variety in the role, as it 鈥渙ffers ideas for multiple forms of police-led education鈥. ‘Undermine their role in communities’ Liberty recommended that police stop teaching these lessons and leave it to trained educators. Its report Policing in the Playground found police presence in schools can 鈥渦ndermined their role in communities and young people鈥檚 lives as places of safety and trust鈥. But funding pressures in schools have contributed to police delivering non-policing functions in schools, including specialist PSHE classes, 鈥渄espite concerns about police-led educational provision鈥. Despite officers across the country delivering lessons, only 1 in 6 say they have been trained to do so. Police officers have essentially 鈥渇illed the gap鈥 in schools to fulfil non policing functions, the report said due to a youth work funding crisis, Liberty said. Interviews with six professionals providing non-statutory services to young people in Hackney found some young people 鈥渇eel highly unsafe around police officers鈥, having 鈥渉armful physiological reactions when they are force to encounter them鈥. Some participants said children had experienced their behaviour being reported to the police due to their presence in schools, when it was otherwise unnecessary. ‘Better handled by specialists’ The Metropolitan Police confirmed lessons relating to violence against women and girls would be 鈥渂etter handled by specialists鈥. But officers will still deliver 鈥渕ore general crime prevention where appropriate鈥, with the force remaining 鈥渇ully committed to safeguarding and supporting young people鈥. School officers have been moved to local policing teams where they will work with youth-based establishments to safeguard young people, prevent victimisation and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour beyond schools. Dr Victoria Tecca, author of the report, said Liberty鈥檚 research 鈥渟howed that the best way to explain complex issues to students is for these sensitive lessons to be delivered by experts and community groups, rather than the police, who often use scaremongering tactics that can be unproductive.鈥 ‘Fulfil the aims of the SSPs’ The report recommends that police forces and schools should take steps to fulfil the aims of the SSPs while 鈥渕inimising contact between officers and young people, to reduce the unnecessary recording of children鈥檚 behaviour as crimes where a criminal justice response is inappropriate鈥. Liberty also recommends that schools, police forces and councils work together to produce a framework for how schools and police 鈥渋nteract with clear, measurable goals鈥. People who have had negative experiences with police should also be consulted. The organisation also said police should 鈥渞egularly collect and publish data related to schools policing to enable monitoring and evaluation of the impact of school-linked officers鈥 activities鈥. Dr Victoria Tecca Victoria Tecca, from Liberty, said: 鈥淭oo many young people today are harmed by unnecessary interactions with the police. 鈥淚f we want to stop our classrooms and canteens being places where the harms of policing are repeated then we need to reduce police presence in them. We urge schools, police forces and councils across the country to work together and make this a reality鈥.