Teenager arrested at Tewkesbury School after ‘pupil stabs teacher’
Praise for ‘really, really good’ teacher knifed in corridor
A teenage boy is being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a teacher was stabbed in a school corridor.
The male teacher – named in reports as Jamie Sansom – was taken to hospital with a single stab wound after being attacked at Tewkesbury Academy in Gloucestershire just after 9am on Monday. He was later discharged.
A teenager fled the scene and was later arrested by armed officers in the nearby Stoke Orchard area; a knife was recovered. Police said: “The suspect remains in custody while inquiries continue.”
Emergency services were called at around 9.10am. The academy was locked down and two neighbouring schools were also asked to shut their doors as a “precaution”, Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone of Gloucestershire Police said.
“It was initially thought that the suspect had fled the scene and hidden himself in the school grounds,” he told reporters. “Our officers, including specialist trained armed police, attended and carried out a thorough search.
“This search was both complex and meticulous in nature as we sought to ensure there were no further injured parties as well as seeking the arrest of the suspect.”
Pupils were kept occupied until they were finally reunited with worried parents later in the afternoon.
It was reported that the teacher had been trying to protect other pupils by breaking up a fight when the stabbing happened, although police did not comment.
Michelle Smith, who has a son, Alex, at the school, Mr Sansom as a “really good” teacher who was “very popular”.
She said: “Knowing who has been stabbed and knowing it is one of your child’s favourite teachers, you know they are going to be very upset when they come home.
“He does a lot of the school trips. He is a really, really good teacher and the communication is really good.
“He is one of those teachers you know you can email him or talk to him. He gets back to you and I am really, really very concerned about him at the moment. I have got everything crossed for him. We know the kids are safe now, we just need to know that he is OK.”
As anxious parents waited outside the school, uniformed officers stood on duty at the entrances.
Year seven pupil Katie Gardiner, 12, was collected from the gates by her parents Martyn and Julia Gardiner.
“It was quite scary as we had never had anything like that before. My old primary school also got shut down,” the girl said.
Laurence Robertson, MP for Tewkesbury, said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the incident.
“Weapons have no place in a school or society,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “The school is very well-known. They carry out extraordinary work. This is such a surprise. We’re proud of the school and proud of the whole area.”
The leader of a headteachers’ union described the stabbing as “appalling”. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “The teacher concerned and all affected are in our thoughts and prayers.”
A Tewkesbury Academy spokesperson said: “We are grateful to all our staff, parents and students for their patience and understanding during what has been a difficult morning, while our thoughts are with our injured colleague – we wish him a swift and successful recovery.”
Downing Street said Rishi Sunak’s thoughts are with those affected by the stabbing, while education secretary Gillian Keegan said the Department for Education (DfE) is “on hand” to support the school.