Teenager arrested after teacher stabbed at Tewkesbury Academy

The police have been at the school since the incident

A teacher is in hospital and a teenage boy in police custody following a suspected stabbing at Tewkesbury Academy.

Gloucestershire Police was called to the secondary school at 09:10 BST after reports a teenager had stabbed a male teacher.

The school was in lockdown, but pupils are now being allowed to leave.

Its headteacher said all pupils were safe and well after the "serious" incident.

Daniel, whose daughter attends Tewkesbury Academy, said it was a "big scary affair" when he found out something was happening.

'Barricaded'

"They [the pupils] were all scared but my daughter has been absolutely fantastic I'm very proud of her," he said.

Daniel said his daughter video called him and he could see her teacher "supporting the whole class".

"The teacher sat right by the door. He barricaded the door, put some boxes there and kept everyone cool even though he must have been scared himself," he added.

Pupils who have their parents' consent to leave the school early were allowed to leave the building from lunchtime, a statement on the school website said.

Pupils are now allowed to leave the school after being locked down for the morning

Those who wish to collect their children being are asked to wait at a nearby garden centre where police will co-ordinate them to collect their children according to year group.

There will also be additional buses to take pupils home earlier, while any child without consent to leave will be kept onsite until 3.25pm.

In a statement, Tewkesbury Academy's head teacher Kathleen McGillycuddy said the alleged attack had been "a worrying time for all associated with Tewkesbury Academy" but assured families "all pupils remain safe and well".

She confirmed the incident had occurred just before 09:00 BST and that the male member of staff needed hospital treatment.

Tewkesbury Academy is a co-educational state academy open to pupils aged 11 to 18

A spokesman for Cabot Learning Federation, which runs 20 academies including Tewkesbury Academy, 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."

The school was previously known as Tewkesbury School but changed its name to Tewkesbury Academy earlier this month.

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service said it sent three ambulances and two operations officers after receiving a call at 09:08.

The victim was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital by ambulance.

Nearby Tirlebrook Primary School, on Brensham Road, told parents it had also been advised to go into lockdown.

Special needs facility Alderman Knight School, which shares the same site as Tewkesbury School, has not confirmed whether it was also affected.

MP for Tewksbury, Lawrence Robertson, told the BBC: "It's a very shocking, very sad and worrying incident. My heart goes out to everyone who is involved."

He added: "Weapons have no place in a school or society."

The lockdown has now been lifted at the Tewkesbury Academy

Mr Robertson said the school is "very well-known", adding: "They carry out extraordinary work. This is such a surprise. We're proud of the school and proud of the whole area."

The prime minster expressed his sympathies with "the individual who has been injured and with the staff and pupils of the school who would obviously be extremely concerned".

In a statement, Rishi Sunak also thanked police and emergency services "for their ongoing response".

Elsewhere, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she was "deeply concerned" by the incident and that her department was monitoring the situation.