A 10-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of assault after a teacher was stabbed with a PENCIL in the classroom.
Police were called to New Park School in Wolverhampton shortly after 9.30am on Wednesday after a 60-year-old male teacher was attacked.
The youngster was held by police after the teacher was rushed to hospital for treatment to a puncture wound to the arm.
He has since been bailed by West Midlands Police and the teacher, who has not been named, has since returned to work at the special school.
Yesterday a police spokesperson said: “A school pupil was arrested after a teacher was assaulted at a Wolverhampton school.
“Police attended New Park School shortly after 9.30am after a teacher at the school suffered a minor puncture wound to his arm during an altercation with a pupil.
“The 60-year-old was assaulted with a pencil.
“He was taken to hospital for treatment.
The pupil, aged 10, was taken into police custody, on suspicion of assault.
“He was later bailed pending further enquiries.”
The school, which caters for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, has been in special measures since February,
A fence was also put up around the school in the Whitmore Reans area of the city to stop the pupils playing truant after it was heavily criticised by Ofsted inspectors.
Former headmistress Sharon Humphreyson resigned following the inspection, which branded it “inadequate”,the worst possible rating, in all four of the main areas.
A source close to a teacher at the school said there were still many problems and described the place as a “war zone”.
He said: “Various members of staff have been threatened by this pupil.
“Staff are being put at risk all the time and nobody is really saying anything about it. Staff have been saying for some time that something was going to happen, and now it has.”
A parent of one of the children, who did not wish to be named, said at the schoolgates yesterday morning: “I worry for the safety of my own son now. If teachers are getting attacked whatever’s next?
“The school have had many problems but they have a very difficult job with the sort of kids that go here.
“But it is very concerning to see teacher’s being attacked and stabbed especially considering what happened to that poor teacher in Leeds.”
Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Tim Clark added: “An incident took place at New Park School, in Whitmore Reans, where a teacher received injuries to their arm which required hospital treatment.
“West Midlands Police have a full-time presence on the school site and a 10-year-old Year 5 male pupil was arrested.”
A second Ofsted inspection last month said the school – which caters for 68 pupils aged between 7-14 – had shown some improvement.
