Vandalism & Damage to Property | Sanction Guidelines

Damage to school property (vandalism)

This offence may apply where a pupil deliberately or recklessly damages, defaces, destroys, or interferes with school property, equipment, buildings, learning resources, displays, furniture, or other items belonging to the school.

Step 1 – Determining the offence category

You should determine the offence category with reference only to the factors in the tables below. In order to determine the category you should assess culpability and harm.

Culpability

The level of culpability or blame is worked out by looking at all the factors involved in the incident. If there are elements that point to different levels of blame, you should weigh these up carefully and give the most relevant ones the right amount of importance to reach a fair judgement about the person’s level of responsibility.

A – High culpability

Significant degree of planning or premeditation
Deliberate intention to cause serious or extensive damage
Damage caused as an act of revenge, hostility, or retaliation
Deliberate targeting of high-value, essential, or sensitive school property
Damage intended to cause major disruption to learning or school operations
Damage involving graffiti, vandalism, or defacement designed to humiliate, intimidate, or undermine the school
Damage carried out with others, where the pupil played a leading role
Damage linked to another serious incident, such as theft, trespass, threatening behaviour, or fire-setting
Repeated or sustained acts of vandalism during the same incident
Deliberate damage to property used for safeguarding, accessibility, or the support of vulnerable pupils

B – Medium culpability

Deliberate damage without significant planning
Recklessness as to whether serious damage would be caused
Some planning or preparation
Damage caused in anger, frustration, or defiance, but not at the highest level
Secondary or supporting role in a group incident
Incident falling between categories A and C

C – Lesser culpability

Little or no planning; incident committed on impulse
Lower-level damage caused recklessly rather than with full intent
Limited damage in value or extent
Damage resulting from immature behaviour, poor judgement, or momentary loss of temper
Responsibility substantially reduced by age, immaturity, learning difficulty, or personal circumstances
Limited role in a wider group incident
Damage was minor, isolated, and quickly brought to an end

Harm

Harm 1

Serious damage to school buildings, equipment, or essential resources
Significant financial cost to the school
Serious disruption to learning, site safety, or the running of the school
Damage affecting multiple pupils, staff, or key areas of provision
Damage creating a health and safety risk
Serious reputational damage to the school
Damage causing serious distress to staff, pupils, or the wider school community
Damage to specialist, irreplaceable, or highly sensitive equipment or materials

Harm 2

Clear financial cost or operational disruption to the school
Noticeable distress, inconvenience, or concern caused to staff or pupils
Damage affecting learning resources, classrooms, displays, furniture, or equipment without the most serious consequences
Harm falling between categories 1 and 3 because:
factors are present in 1 and 3 which balance each other out and/or
the harm falls between the factors described in 1 and 3

Harm 3

Minor damage with limited financial or operational impact
Limited disruption to learning or school routines
Little or no lasting wider impact on the school community
Minor distress or inconvenience caused
Damage repaired or resolved quickly and easily

Step 2 – Starting point and category range

Where the damage forms part of a wider incident, headteachers should consider whether this guidance should be used alongside other relevant sections of Sanction Guidelines, for example theft, trespassing, threatening behaviour, assault, or possession of an offensive weapon.

Where the damage is extensive, deliberate, targeted, repeated, or causes serious disruption or safety concerns, headteachers should consider whether the incident is sufficiently serious to justify a high-end fixed-term exclusion or permanent exclusion.

Recovery of costs

Any decision about seeking a contribution towards the cost of damage should be taken in line with the school’s existing policy and with due regard to fairness, proportionality, and family circumstances.

If the school has a published approach to contributions for damaged property, that should be applied consistently and separately from the decision about sanction.

Step 3 – Take into consideration Aggravating and Mitigating factors

The school could consider any adjustment for any aggravating or mitigating factors. Below is a non-exhaustive list of additional factual elements providing the context of the offence and factors relating to the offender.

Identify whether any combination of these, or other relevant factors, should result in an upward or downward adjustment from the starting point of punitive action.

Factors increasing seriousness (Aggravation Factors)

Identify whether any combination of these or other relevant factors should result in an upward or downward adjustment from the starting point of punitive action.

Previous similar incidents or repeated disregard for school property
Nature of previous offences and their relevance to the current offence
Time elapsed since previous offences
Damage to property of particular value, importance, or sensitivity
Significant disruption to the rest of the school, for example closure of areas, loss of lessons, or site safety issues
Damage carried out in the presence of younger pupils or in a way that undermines the school environment
Group involvement, especially where the pupil led or encouraged others
Attempts to conceal responsibility or avoid accountability
Damage linked to hostility towards staff, the school, or another pupil
Use of graffiti, abusive language, or symbols as part of the damage
Financial cost substantially above the usual level
Damage affecting safeguarding, accessibility, or provision for vulnerable pupils
Wider reputational damage to the school

Factors reducing seriousness or reflecting personal mitigation

No previous similar incidents or no relevant/recent incidents
Genuine remorse
Good character and/or exemplary conduct
Early admission and cooperation
Isolated incident
Offer to help put matters right, where appropriate
Age and/or lack of maturity
Additional Learning Needs
Family circumstances
Limited role in a group incident
Clear evidence that the damage was lower-level and not intended to cause wider disruption

Safeguarding issues should be considered separately and are not necessarily mitigating factors.

Step 4 – Adjust starting point and category range

Having taken into consideration all aggravating and mitigating factors adjust starting point as deemed best fit.

Where the damage is deliberate, extensive, targeted, repeated, or causes significant financial loss, disruption, or safety concerns, an upward adjustment is likely to be appropriate.

Where the incident is isolated, lower-level, impulsive, and causes limited harm, with genuine remorse and clear personal mitigation, a downward adjustment may be appropriate.