Finding a sensible approach to violent pupils.

Despite the many pressures faced by British schools today including tight funding and an over prescriptive and meddlesome government, they provide local children with a very good education.

Beyond this, they are safe and friendly places in which to grow up, make friends and explore the world.

So I was extremely concerned to learn that a small proportion of persistently violent pupils had been repeatedly returned to schools after having been excluded by head teachers concerned by violence towards other pupils and staff.

For a small minority, a mainstream education cannot provide for their needs and by forcing them into our local schools we are needlessly creating an unnecessary danger for other children.

To that end I recently took local headmasters, staff, governors and parents to meet the housing minister Jim Knight, to discuss their concerns. The minister was very sympathetic, conceded the failure in the system and promised to look further into the issue.

The most important issue for parents when they drop their kids off at school is their children's safely.

We must work hard to ensure that the hard work done by our local schools can continue unhindered by the fear of violence.