Walgett Community College, in New South Wales' north-west, is the first school in the state to have police stationed inside the school gate, in an attempt to stop violence.

Earlier this year, there was an escalation in violence at the school and the ABC featured phone footage of a 13-year-old being beaten up by other students.

The attack came after months of bullying and the girl was so distressed she moved to another school in Dubbo, almost 300 kilometres away.

The NSW Education Department recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to have the Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) operate at the school.

On an average day, two police officers will operate at a centre that has been erected next to the school hall.

Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said Walgett is a "tough school and it's got a chequered history".

"We want police to be across what's happening obviously outside, but also inside the school," he said.

"They're not there as a display of authority, they're there to engage with students at the school."

The Opposition's education spokeswoman, Linda Burney, has criticised the introduction of officers to the classrooms and playground.

"To have the police on site the whole time is going to be counter-productive, it will be seen as a punitive exercise," she said.

Walgett Community College school captain Melissa Haley said: "I always wonder what they [the police] are up to. Is anyone in trouble today?"

However, Acting Superintendant Tony Mureau from the Castlereagh Local Area Command said the early signs were encouraging.

"Over the past month there've been no incidents," he said.

Superintendant Mureau described the role of police as "hands on with the kids, building self-esteem and confidence, getting them active, taking their minds off the troubles that were here earlier on".

"What we'll see is police in the classroom sometimes dealing with kids not necessarily in a negative way, but bringing them into the hall, playing sport. Just engagement strategies."

Police say they are working to improve students' self-esteem and confidence. ( ABC News: Philippa McDonald )

Police are also running anger management courses for the students, called "Scream" for girls and "Rage" for boys.

There are 100 students at the school, with attendance rates running at about two thirds of pupils, about 7 per cent lower than the same time last year.

Sources close to the school have told the ABC that far fewer students have been turning up to school and in the last weeks of the school term four teachers resigned.

Mr Piccoli said "most of these issues come from outside the school and when they come to school that's when the violence breaks out".

"The school is part of the solution," he said.

Superintendant Mureau said Walgett had a very high rate of domestic violence.

"The unfortunate side effect is a lot of kids have either been witness to that or victims of it.

"I'd like to see that violence is never considered an accepted norm especially for kids," he said.