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Birmingham schools use virtual reality to tackle knife crime

Gareth Griffiths
The XR School › News › Virtual_Decisions: Knives
Delivered through schools Round Midnight Interactive film • Workshop VR headsets
Launched for schools September 2021 • More than 15,000 children aged 11 to 14 by July 2023 • Innovation Award, The Education Awards 2023

Virtual_Decisions: Knives

Schools in Birmingham and across the West Midlands are using virtual reality to teach young people about the consequences of knife crime. Virtual_Decisions: Knives places pupils inside an 11 minute interactive film set in the city, where their decisions shape how the story ends, followed by a workshop exploring the choices they made.

Creator: Round Midnight, Birmingham
Supported by: West Midlands Police, West Midlands PCC, Home Office
Format: 11 minute interactive VR film plus workshop
Subject: PSHE • Citizenship
8.0
/10
XR School Score
Recommended
Interactive decision making • Local, realistic setting • Structured workshop • Early evaluation positive • Delivered by the provider, not bought off the shelf
Innovation Award The Education Awards 2023
Overview

Virtual_Decisions: Knives is an educational virtual reality programme created by Round Midnight, a Birmingham based creative arts and education company, working with West Midlands Police. It was funded by West Midlands Police, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and the Home Office, and was developed with help from Professor Peter Langdon of the University of Warwick. After trials in Birmingham schools in the summer of 2021, it launched for schools on 29 September 2021. It follows an earlier Round Midnight programme, Virtual_Decisions: Gangs.

Pupils watch an 11 minute interactive film in VR, set in the city, and make decisions about knives as a situation escalates; their choices determine how the story ends. A creative workshop then explores the decisions they made and their consequences. In July 2023, BBC Midlands Today reported that more than 15,000 children aged 11 to 14 had taken part, and that the programme had won the Innovation Award at The Education Awards 2023, with support from Meta as well as the PCC and Home Office.

Why It Matters BBC Midlands Today reported that 380 under 18s were arrested for knife offences in the region in 2021, double the figure five years earlier, and that 836 children under 16 were victims of knife crime in the 12 months to May 2022. Programmes like Virtual_Decisions aim to change how young people think about carrying a knife before they face that choice for real.
How a Session Works
🎥
Watch
An 11 minute interactive film in a VR headset.
🤔
Decide
Make choices as the situation escalates.
🔄
See the outcome
Your decisions shape how the story ends.
🗣️
Reflect
A workshop explores choices and consequences.
Early Evidence A small exploratory evaluation by researchers at Edge Hill University, published in 2024, studied the workshops with Year 5 and Year 6 classes at one primary school. It found that pupils' self reported likelihood of carrying a knife fell, and that they showed deeper knowledge of knife crime and safe conflict resolution. The authors note the study was small, so the results show initial impact rather than proven long term effects.
Classroom Value
Social impact
9.0
Engagement
8.6
Curriculum links
8.5
Ease of setup
6.5
Evidence base
6.0
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
  • Places pupils inside realistic decisions
  • Local setting that feels relevant
  • Structured workshop follows the film
  • Developed with police and academics
  • Award winning
  • Early evaluation positive
Considerations
  • Delivered as a programme, not a downloadable app
  • Mainly available in particular regions
  • Emotionally challenging topic needs careful handling
  • Evidence so far comes from small studies
For Teachers: Planning a Session If you are interested in Virtual_Decisions, contact Round Midnight or your local Violence Reduction Unit about availability in your area. Prepare students beforehand, make support available afterwards, and link the session to your PSHE curriculum on personal safety, peer pressure and the law.
Via schools
Delivered by Round Midnight with local partners
West Midlands PCC announcement → More XR news →
Quick Facts
Creator
Round Midnight, Birmingham
Partners
West Midlands Police, PCC, Home Office
Launch
29 September 2021
Film length
11 minutes, interactive
Reach
More than 15,000 pupils aged 11 to 14 (July 2023)
Award
Innovation Award, The Education Awards 2023
Evaluation
Edge Hill University, 2024
Verdict
Virtual_Decisions: Knives is one of the clearest examples of VR being used for real social good in schools. By letting pupils make decisions and see the consequences safely, then reflect in a workshop, it tackles a serious issue in a way a leaflet never could. Recommended wherever it is available.
Format: VR film and workshop
Subject: PSHE • Citizenship
Key Stage: KS2 to KS3
Availability: Through schools and local partners
Review: The XR School, October 2026

Gareth Griffiths

Gareth Griffiths is a scientist and the founder of World of Teaching, a free library of over 1,000 teacher made PowerPoints. He set up The XR School to help teachers, schools and parents find virtual and augmented reality apps that genuinely help young people learn, and to give an honest view of what each app teaches, which headsets it needs and what it costs.