Keith Mulloy will never forget his first day at secondary school. Dozens of pairs of eyes were upon him as he walked along the unnaturally quiet corridors, youthful expressions blatantly curious as he approached. So many scrutinising stares would have been a first year’s nightmare but as a police officer with eight years’ experience of working with young people on the streets, PC Mulloy took it in his stride, smiling and greeting the pupils.

Northfield Academy in Aberdeen is the 27-year-old officer’s new beat. He is Scotland’s first school-based full-time bobby paid in part with new community school funding. Strathclyde Police has a constable permanently based at Eastbank Academy in Shettleston, but her post is funded by the constabulary. Both have been brought into the schools to help improve the rapport between young people, the police and the community and to counter anti-social behaviour and crime.

A few weeks on, PC Mulloy admits to some first-day nerves in August. “It was an entirely new experience to me, having to walk into a school of 1,000 pupils and start to get to know them. And of course, it was all new to them, too.

“I’d approach a small group and the conversation would go quiet. It was obvious they were wondering ‘Why is he speaking to me?’,” he recalls.

PC Mulloy has been based at the school to help deal with issues that are having a negative impact on some of the pupils’ behaviour and performance, says assistant headteacher Susan Alley.

Grampian Police is looking at long-term crime reduction in the area, confirms Superintendent Maureen Brown, who has been involved in setting up the project.

“The Northfield area, like many other communities, has particular problems. There are high levels of unemployment, drug abuse and anti-social behaviour and there are issues regarding young people as both offenders and victims.

“Northfield Academy took the lead. Through closer working with young people at the school and its associate primaries, we hope to be able to identify and resolve problems at a very early stage.”

From time to time, the school has had to call in the police to deal with intruders and vandalism. A problem recently involved youths - some of them pupils - riding motorcycles across the playing field during football matches.

“Having Keith on site means such issues can be dealt with immediately, instead of us having to go through the police control room,” says Mrs Alley, who was instrumental in bringing a constable into school. The idea was sparked by a conversation with her husband, Iain, a detective inspector with Grampian Police.

“Northfield Academy has for some time recognised itself as being at the hub of a range of wider community issues, involving social work, the police and other agencies,” she explains. “Two years ago, we were successful in putting a student counsellor in post, and we have long had close links with our local social work department, psychiatric services and with Grampian Police’s community and education liaison officers. But we still felt there was more we could do to develop our role in helping to address the issues confronting us.

“My husband and I were discussing this about a year ago and we began to wonder ‘What if Northfield Academy had its own resident police officer?’. He knew that such an idea would be well received by Grampian Police and was able to put us in touch with the relevant contacts.”

With the advent of the Scottish Executive’s award of new community school funding to Aberdeen City Council, the one-year pilot initiative was set up, funded equally by Grampian Police and Northfield Academy, which will become a designated new community school later this term.

With funding in place (the Executive makes no stipulation as to how new community school funding is spent by local authorities), the school and police focused on planning a strategy, working protocol and job description for the post. This painstaking process took nine months to complete.

In England, the Thames Valley Police had successfully established a permanent presence at Drayton Secondary in Banbury, Oxfordshire, and both the school and police force were happy to share their experiences.

“We learned a lot from them,” says Mrs Alley. “Notably, to think things through very carefully before proceeding, to ensure evaluation is properly in place, with all the necessary baseline figures, and to plan the management strategy thoroughly, so that things don’t get out of hand.

“But what came across more than anything was the amount of enthusiasm for the project shown by the school and by the police.”

With the groundwork in place, it was time to appoint a suitable officer. PC Mulloy, with his keen interest in young people’s issues, fitted the bill and his open, down-to-earth and caring approach integrates with the school ethos.

“I jumped at the opportunity,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of experience in working with young people and the operational aspects of being a police officer. I’m streetwise and I enjoy a challenge.

“It’s an ideal position for someone who likes to be proactive and creative in solving problems as they arise, both individually and as part of a team.”

Earlier this year, when Estelle Morris, the Education Secretary, said she wanted uniformed officers in schools in England and Wales, headteachers were worried that they would be stigmatised by their communities for inviting police into their schools.

Although PC Mulloy was known to Northfield Academy staff and some of the pupils from a first year’s induction week, and the school community had been informed of his appointment last term, his uniformed presence did cause something of a stir. However, careful planning and openness with the media from the school management team and Grampian Police went a long way to ensuring the buzz was positive.

“We made it clear that Northfield Academy has a policeman not because it needs one, but because it wants one,” PC Mulloy says. “That message has been well received by the school community and by parents and it’s clear that they don’t see any stigma in my being here.”

He has already made headway in getting to know the pupils. “They’re now happy to say hello and speak to me in the playground and even in the streets outside,” he says.

“Most of the children are very approachable and friendly, although there are some who may walk by without saying anything. But building relationships takes time and I’m pleased with the response I’ve received so far.”

Fifth-year pupil Alana McConnachie describes PC Mulloy’s presence as “very positive”. She says: “It was strange to start with but I think it’s a great idea. Any of us can speak to him and get advice, even if it’s nothing to do with things happening in school.”

Chris Duncan, aged 16, believes having a policeman in school has helped with the problem of playground fighting. “People are not going to cause trouble knowing he’s around. He’s keeping everybody on track,” he says.

First thing in the morning and at break and lunch times, PC Mulloy can be found strolling through the school corridors and playground, chatting to pupils, watching for potential problems and generally ensuring the school environment is safe. He keeps in close contact with his community police colleagues and receives updates from the Grampian Police control room on any local community incidents which might affect him. He also pays regular visits to shops where the pupils congregate, to ensure lunchtimes remain incident-free for everyone and to deal with any concerns that may affect the school. At any time, he can call on the support of his colleagues if required.

“So far, the incidents we have been dealing with are fairly routine matters, such as minor cases of bullying within the school and vandalism to the premises, such as broken windows, at evenings and weekends,” he says.

In dealing with incidents, the focus is on restorative justice, through problem-solving, mediation and support for both victims and offenders. The school and police apply best practice principles shared by Thames Valley Police.

PC Mulloy is also working with the school’s senior management team and youth worker, who was appointed in January, to develop a range of projects addressing particular problems, such as motorcycles on the playing fields.

“We’re aware some of the offenders are pupils at the school and it’s a matter of trying to work with them to help them realise the dangers and risks involved in what they are doing and helping to steer them away from this kind of behaviour,” says the constable.

His ability to draw on police resources to support work on road safety, alcohol and drugs misuse and crime prevention is helpful but he will not participate in formal teaching of these topics, which will remain the work of the education liaison officer. Nor will he be involved in routine matters of pupils’ discipline, which will be dealt with according to the school’s disciplinary procedure.

“My job will continually be developing according to the needs of the school. That’s another thing that makes it interesting,” he says.

Ann Lowson, Northfield Academy’s principal teacher of guidance, sees the constable as a valuable addition to the school team. “It’s very useful to have another person around who can help in various ways. Already, Keith has been able to help with a pupil who has had some bother with his behaviour and the way he speaks to staff. Also, he has been looking into why certain pupils have had difficulty getting into school and how they can be motivated.

“So far, he has been a real success. He’s always around, so the children see a lot of him and they seem to respond very well to him.”

Aberdeen City Council’s director of learning and leisure, John Stodter, is also pleased with the pilot initiative’s early progress.

“It’s going extremely well,” he says. “The school is learning a lot, the police are learning a lot and it’s proving to be a very positive move for pupils, parents and staff.

“It’s part of the Aberdeen Futures plan to integrate different professionals with the shared aim of community development.

“At Northfield Academy various issues are being addressed in a spirit of partnership. The success of the scheme demonstrates the value of having professionals from different backgrounds working alongside teachers and support staff. We do intend to expand this as new community schools are rolled out across the city.”

A Scottish Executive spokesperson says that ministers are taking a keen interest in Aberdeen’s pilot initiative. “We are certain, too, that local authorities and individual schools across Scotland will be interested to see the impact a full-time officer stationed in the school is having,” he says.

“Although it is still early days, the indications are that it is a positive experience for all concerned. If it continues to prove a success, the Scottish Executive would be more than happy to see other local authorities follow suit.”

In Glasgow, close links between Eastbank Academy and Shettleston community officers from Strathclyde Police have led to a constable being permanently based at the school for the past year and a half.

PC Gillian Crofts has been at the school of 1,400 pupils - one of the largest in Glasgow - since the start of term. She has taken over from PC Lynsey Hood, who is on maternity leave. The post is funded by Strathclyde Police and an office provided by the school offers a base where she can give advice and support to parents and children in private. The long-term aim is to build relationships between the police and local people.

The initiative started because the school, which is on a busy thoroughfare, was having trouble with youths outside. Fast food outlets nearby provide a regular meeting place for teenagers and cause concern for pupil safety as well as problems with litter.

Headteacher Jim Dalziel says Eastbank Academy has its fair share of challenging issues, but the project is mainly about promoting better citizenship, from not dropping litter to not carrying offensive weapons.

When a pupil was recently spotted displaying a knife to his friends, the school management was able to call on PC Crofts, who stepped in quickly and effectively.

“Our officer knew there was a specific charge for carrying a knife on school premises, which we didn’t,” says Mr Dalziel. “So the young man was charged on the spot and dealt with severely by the education authority.

“It was a clear and timely demonstration to every pupil that the carrying of knives on school premises will not be tolerated.”

A recent evaluation of the initiative has shown that the constable’s presence has had a positive impact on discipline, in particular on young people’s anti-social behaviour in the community.

Chief Superintendent Kevin Smith says: “There has also been a dramatic drop in the number of complaints received from people living in the immediate vicinity of the school and parents have readily welcomed the support and advice of our officer. It is hoped that by opening the permanent base within Eastbank Academy, we can build on these positive developments.”

Now settled into her new office, PC Crofts plans to hold regular surgeries for Eastbank’s pupils and is looking to expand her role into the primaries and pre-five centres that make up the Eastbank Learning Community. At present she is busy preparing lessons plans for her first safety campaign, highlighting the dangers of fireworks.