Pupils from St Margaret’s Academy (SMA) were given an insight into the dangers of drugs and knife crime in a candid talk this week.
Rob Jackson, a clinical nurse from Royal Liverpool University Hospital, has been delivering talks on the destructive impact of crime in Liverpool to SMA pupils for the past five years, as part of the school’s ongoing learning for life scheme.
Mr Jackson, whose son attended SMA, returned to the school this week to talk to Year 9 students about the real life consequences he deals with while working in the hospital’s accident and emergency department.
The hard-hitting talk featured images of some of the injuries Mr Jackson has treated as a result of drug and knife crime on the city’s streets.
Hazel Kinloch, head of learning for life at SMA, says: “It is so important that school’s take proactive steps to educate pupils on the dangers of drugs and carrying knives. Our learning for life programme aims to gives pupils and insight into life beyond the classroom, and this talk has given pupils an important insight into a very real-life issue.
“As Rob has seen first-hand, these crimes can have severely damaging consequences for young people and their futures. That’s why it is so important to tackle these issues head on and make sure that pupils are fully aware that this is a real life issue, and one that is even happening in their own city”. 
