A TEENAGE boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder today after a male teacher at a secondary school in Gloucestershire was stabbed and rushed to hospital.

The staff member was reported to be in a stable condition at the time this article was published, following the alleged attack in a corridor at Tewkesbury Academy state school.

The boy was still in custody by early evening after he was arrested by firearms officers five miles away in Stoke Orchard at 11am, almost two hours after armed officers were first called out.  

The school was placed into lockdown until the afternoon, when pupils were sent home. A parent told the BBC that one teacher kept their class safe by sitting in front of a classroom door and barricading it.

The shocking incident, which police said did not appear to be motivated by terrorism, comes as education unions warn violence and threats of violence are on the rise across Britain’s primaries and secondaries.

Teaching union NASUWT warned earlier this year that more than one in 10 – 13 per cent – of educators across Scotland have been physically assaulted in the classroom in the preceding 12 months alone.

Gloucestershire police said: “We were called around 9.10am today with a report a pupil had stabbed a teacher. A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with the incident.”

In a statement, the school’s headteacher Kathleen McGillycuddy, said: “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.

“The school was locked down and police were called immediately when we became aware of this incident.”

In a statement, the National Education Union tweeted: “Our thoughts are with all the staff, pupils and parents involved.

“Violence has no place in our schools and colleges. School is somewhere all school staff, students, teachers and support staff should feel and be safe.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s “thoughts are with those affected by the incident,” a Downing Street spokesperson said, while Education Secretary Gillian Keegan added: “We are closely monitoring the situation and remain hugely grateful to the emergency services.”