Islington parents said they fear for children’s safety after social media posts encouraged violence between schools across London.
The posts, which come from an anonymous source, divide schools into opposing “red” and “blue” teams with children being encouraged to use compasses, metal combs and rulers to “be violent” towards each other on named dates.
The “school wars” have spread nationwide and circulated online via TikTok and Snapchat, raising fears about children’s use of social media.
“Half the school didn’t attend on the day the war was planned. Parents kept them home because they were so worried,” said Sinead Masterton, mother to three boys.
Her two teenage sons attend Central Foundation Boys School, a state boy’s secondary school on Cowper Street, which was named in posts advertising a school war for 27 February.
Masterton said: “Another parent said her son was on his way home and saw children from a different school showing each other a knife.”
“Mums patrolled on that morning, and the teachers and police were out,” she added.
Although the wars didn’t take place, Sinead said she fears that “children are going to jump on it, go and see what happens, and then fights are going to come from that”.
Fears about the school wars have led to after-school activities being cancelled.
Sam Andrews said her daughter’s school, the Elizabeth Garret Anderson, a state girl’s secondary school on Donegal Street, “introduced a policy whereby all pupils will have to leave by 4pm”.
“All detentions after this time will not go ahead and any clubs will be suspended to allow staff to be present outside the school ensuring pupils leave safely,” she added.
“It’s not nothing because it’s all over social media and some kids may get hyped up about it,” said Paul Convery, councillor for Caledonian ward, and father to two teenage boys.
On 5 March the Metropolitan Police arrested a teenage boy and a man in his twenties in connection to the social media posts.
“Many parents have become very anxious as a result of all this,” Convery added.
“This episode has shown just how harmful social media can be in amplifying fears and stoking divisions where none existed,” he said.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://islingtonnow.co.uk/parents-fear-for-childrens-safety-in-violent-school-wars/&media=https://islingtonnow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Central_Foundation_School_For_Boys-scaled.jpg&description="Red vs. Blue" school wars trend on social media, as Islington parents fear for their children's safety.){kind=link}