The number of crimes reported on school grounds will worry parents as much as they clearly worry headteachers.

It is important to stress these are reported crimes and it is unclear how many were substantiated.

However, they give an indication of the scale of the issue.

Ch Supt Tim De Meyer says details of crimes should be made public on a case-by-case basis.

But what parents will want is reassurance that crimes are being investigated and dealt with.

And that means being dealt with in a proportionate manner.

Clearly serious allegations must be investigated by police, but playground dust-ups are perhaps best dealt with by headteachers and parents.

More importantly schools reporting incidents must ensure they review their policies and security arrangements to make sure all is being done to stamp out crime.

When children are at school we expect high standards of education.

But above all, parents expect their children to be safe and to feel safe.

That is fundamental to our school system.