Gloucestershire school incident: teenage boy charged on suspicion of attempted murder after teacher stabbed

A 15-year-old boy has been charged by police after a male teacher was stabbed at a Gloucestershire school on Monday (10 July).

Gloucestershire Police confirmed that a 15-year-old boy has been charged with section 18 attempted wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article on school premises. Maths teacher Jamie Sansom was hospitalised with a single stab wound but is now said to be "recovering well".

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will remain in custody and is due to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (12 July).

The secondary school - and several others nearby - were put into hours-long lockdowns on Monday morning (10 July), in what police described as an "ongoing incident".

“We were called around 9.10am today with a report a pupil had stabbed a teacher," the statement continued. "A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with the incident.”

In a press conference on Monday afternoon, Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone told reporters the teenager had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

“It was initially thought that the suspect had fled the scene and hidden himself in the school grounds,” Mr Ocone said. “Our officers, including specialist trained armed police, attended and carried out a thorough search."

“Specialist resources, including the National Police Air Service and plain clothed officers, were deployed to search the wider area and thanks to their efforts the suspect was safely arrested by firearms officers in Stoke Orchard at 11am this morning," he continued.

A knife was seized during that arrest. Searches continued in order to ensure there were no further casualties, and Mr Ocone said police could now confirm that no-one else was injured.

“At this stage the motivation behind the attack is unclear but at this time there is no evidence to suggest it is terrorism related. However, we are keeping an open mind while further inquiries are carried out.”

In a statement, the school’s headteacher Kathleen McGillycuddy said: “We appreciate that this morning has been a worrying time for all associated with Tewkesbury Academy. We are writing to reassure you that all pupils remain safe and well.

“We were alerted shortly before 9am this morning to reports of a serious incident which left a male member of staff in need of hospital treatment," she continued. “The school was locked down and police were called immediately when we became aware of this incident."

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she was "deeply concerned" by reports of the stabbing at Tewkesbury School.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and remain hugely grateful to the emergency services who are currently on the scene," she added. “My department is on hand to support the school as the situation unfolds.”