The force has dubbed the social media posts as a ‘fear-mongering online trend’
15:53, 06 Mar 2026Updated 15:59, 06 Mar 2026
Bulwell Academy has released a statement on the ‘school wars’ trend(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
Police officers are being deployed to schools and colleges across Nottingham to reassure parents amid the national “school wars” trend.
Posts encouraging pupils from different schools in the county to engage in mass violence with weapons such as knives, rulers and compasses have been circulating online.
A post on social media encouraged pupils at several schools in and around Nottingham to meet up on several dates in March for two rounds of “school wars”.
However, Nottinghamshire Police says it has no intelligence that any of the social media posts will result in actual violence and believes they have been shared to scare the public.
It comes after the force confirmed a stabbing outside of a Lenton school on Thursday afternoon (March 6) was not related to the online trend.
Bulwell Academy, one of the schools allegedly mentioned in the social media posts, also confirmed it does not believe any of its students are at risk.
The police say, despite this, officers will be sent on patrol around a number of schools in the city at home time to offer parents reassurance.
Chief Superintendent Nick Waldram said: “We completely understand the anxiety and fear these social media posts have caused across our local community.
“As a parent myself, it is vitally important that measures are put in place to ensure that our community feels reassured that we are taking this matter seriously.
“This is why you will see high-visibility patrols across some of our city and county schools this evening.
“The intelligence we have collated suggests this is nothing more than a fear-mongering online trend to divide our communities rather than this escalating into a physical incident.
“However, we will always keep an open mind and work on rolling intelligence we receive. But there is absolutely nothing for parents to worry about at this moment in time.”
A number of schools around the city sent similarly worded letters to parents stating there was “no indication of any specific risk to pupils” and that violence will not be tolerated.
A spokesperson for Bulwell Academy said it is also working closely with the police to reassure parents following the posts, which encourage opposing ‘red and blue’ teams of schools to engage in violence.
“We also ensure students are supported if they would like to discuss anything they have seen or heard online,” the spokesperson said.
“We are also aware of recent social media posts circulating online and we are working closely with Nottinghamshire Police, who have confirmed they will be present at the start and end of the school day as a precaution.
“Staff have been on duty before and after school and they have observed nothing of concern.
“While we do not expect any issues, the safety and wellbeing of students and staff remains the highest priority. We will continue to monitor the situation closely throughout the day, with any concerns reported to the police immediately.”
It comes after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed outside Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology (NUAST), in Dunkirk Road on Thursday.
As of Friday (March 6) afternoon, he remains in hospital with injuries that are not currently believed to be life-threatening in nature.
Another boy, also aged 15, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife in a public place.
The force declared that, despite speculation, the incident is not linked to the social media trend and both pupils attend the same school.
“This has absolutely nothing to do with school wars, however, we understand the concerns in light of this online trend,” Chief Superintendent Waldram added of the incident.
“Anyone who is concerned then please do not hesitate to talk to one of our officers at the scene, by calling 101, or reporting through our online portal.
“Anyone who wishes to incite violence by posting these social media posts or participate in any sort of violence within our community will be dealt with robustly.”
