Teacher out of hospital and ‘recovering well’ after ‘being stabbed by pupil’
A teacher stabbed at a secondary school in Gloucestershire is ‘recovering well’ after being discharged from hospital.
Armed police went to Tewkesbury Academy on Monday morning amid reports of a ‘threat to a teacher’, plunging the school into lockdown for five hours.
The teacher, named locally as Jamie Sansom, suffered a single stab wound and was discharged from the hospital that evening, county police said.
Mr Sansom is now ‘recovering well’, a Tewkesbury Academy spokesman said today.
‘We are pleased to confirm the Tewkesbury colleague injured in yesterday’s incident has been discharged from hospital and is recovering well,’ they said.
‘He has expressed his gratitude for the many positive messages he has received.’
The school has also reopened today after discussions with police officials.
‘We feel it is important for our students to be able to return to a sense of normality in their school, where we will be providing a range of additional mental and emotional support for students and staff,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Police will retain a presence at the school for the coming days to provide reassurance.’
A teenage suspect has been arrested and remains in custody – police have not named him.
A motivation for the attack at the school in Stoke Orchard, a village about five miles south of Tewkesbury, remains unclear. It is not terror-related, the force says.
Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said officers were called just after 9am.
‘Minutes later we received a call from the ambulance service telling us that a male teacher had been stabbed in a corridor at the school,’ he said.
No other casualties were reported.
Mr Ocone said it was initially believed the suspect had ‘hidden himself within the school grounds’ as officers combed the scene.
A boy from Tewkesbury was detained at 11am and a knife seized ruing his arrest.
‘At this stage the motivation behind the attack is unclear and at this time there is no evidence to suggest it is terrorism-related. However, we are keeping an open mind while further enquiries are carried out,’ Mr Ocone said.
‘The suspect, a teenage boy from Tewkesbury, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in police custody.
‘This was clearly a very distressing incident and our thoughts are with the victim, their family and everyone impacted by what happened.’
The school spokesperson added: ‘All of us at Tewkesbury Academy are grateful for the support we have received from our community and colleagues from across our trust and from the wider education sector.
‘We also want to thank officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary for their invaluable help and reassurance.
‘And finally, huge thanks to all Tewkesbury colleagues for their calm and professionalism during an incredibly difficult day, and our students and their families for their patience, resilience and support.
‘We look forward to continuing to support each other, while focusing again on providing a high-quality education to the young people of Tewkesbury.’
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