UPDATE Wandsworth has been named in viral social media posts encouraging organised violence between schoolchildren, with a first event advertised for this Friday. Ark Putney Academy wrote to parents on Monday with a direct instruction: “No APA student should be involved in any activity linked to this social media content.”
The posts circulate on TikTok using a “Red vs Blue” format, assigning schools and boroughs to opposing sides. Wandsworth is listed. Round 1 is advertised for Friday 27 February, with further dates into March. Similar posts have spread across more than a dozen London boroughs since mid-February.
Alison Downey, Executive Principal of Ark Putney Academy in Pullman Gardens, confirmed the school is working with police and the local authority. A coordinated borough-wide response is already in place. Schools, children’s services, and police are all involved, with officers providing additional visibility near schools each day after school. Parents in the local community have reported police near the Green Man at the end of the school day, with Ark staff asking pupils to head straight home.
Monitoring in place
The Metropolitan Police is monitoring the situation across London, increasing patrols around schools where appropriate, and working with social media platforms to remove accounts spreading the content. No confirmed injuries or incidents have been reported anywhere in London as a result of these posts.
The posts are primarily aimed at younger pupils. Downey’s letter noted they appear targeted at KS3 students, meaning Years 7 to 9, ages 11 to 14. She reminded parents that under-13s should not have TikTok or WhatsApp accounts.
Downey urged parents to have the conversation this week. “We strongly urge all parents and carers to speak openly with their children about the dangers and consequences of becoming involved in any organised gatherings of this nature.”
The school has asked parents to check in with their children, review their social media use, and remind them of expectations at home and school. “Your guidance and supervision at home are crucial in helping young people make safe, sensible decisions and avoid being drawn into harmful situations,” Downey wrote.
Parents who see the content online can report it through TikTok’s in-app reporting function or by contacting the Metropolitan Police via met.police.uk or 101.
Round 1 is Friday. Parents should know where their children are after school.
UPDATE — 26 February: A second Wandsworth school has confirmed it is named in the posts. Graveney School, in Tooting, wrote to parents on Wednesday morning warning that posts have been published “about schools all over London, including Graveney and neighbouring schools.”
Principals N. Brannon and E. Simmons said the school is in close communication with police, has spoken to all students, and will deploy its usual security measures — including the power to search pupils — if necessary. They confirmed police are providing extra patrols at the end of the school day where possible and are “on alert to respond to any possible issues robustly.”
The Graveney letter urged parents to make sure their children know that “it is both dangerous and illegal to carry anything with the intention of using it as a weapon,” and that if they encounter large groups or suspect trouble, they should walk away and call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger.
Parents with specific information — names, locations or dates — are asked to email safeguarding@graveney.wandsworth.sch.uk and report separately to the Metropolitan Police.
UPDATE 3pm, Friday: The police are out in force at schools across London as school breaks up for the weekend with officers spotted outside named schools in Fulham, Putney, Battersea and Tooting.
