Knife alert at Cameron boy’s primary school

TEACHERS at a primary school attended by David Cameron’s son called police after the discovery of a craft knife.

St Mary Abbots said the find had caused great concern and appealed to parents for information.

The school – where the Prime Minister’s eldest daughter was also a pupil – said the knife was found in a classroom used by year 6 children – the oldest age group.

Staff said they had no idea who brought it in, adding that it was a ‘ highly unusual occurrence that is ‘naturally concerning’.

They informed police and sent out letters to alert parents and ask for information, saying any received would be treated with the strictest confidence.

The letters warned that police are notified if knives or blades are brought into school.

A spokesman for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which oversees the school, said parents had been very supportive over the incident.

He added: ‘All year 6 parents were alerted after a Stanley knife was found at the school. The knife was handed to a teacher by a pupil and while there is no suggestion it was used to cause harm it has nevertheless caused a great deal of concern.

‘St Mary Abbots is an excellent school that provides a safe and happy environment for children to learn and will do everything in its power to ensure this remains the case.’

The alert was sounded on Tuesday after a pupil found the knife and handed it in to teachers.

Staff grilled the children but no one owned up to knowing anything about the knife.

It is understood that while police were informed of the incident, it would not have been recorded as a crime as no child was caught carrying the knife. The Church of England school, which sits in one of the wealthiest areas of London, caters for families who are regular churchgoers.

Unlike previous Conservative leaders, Mr Cameron was determined to educate his daughter Nancy in the state sector. He chose the Kensington school over 15 other primaries – including alternative CofE schools – closer to home. Her brother Elwen, ten, is there now.

According to his aides, the family had been regular worshippers at the church of St Mary Abbots for three or four years. Mr Cameron took Sunday school classes at the church and his wife helped edit the parish newsletter.

In September, Nancy started her first year at a state secondary – Grey Coat Hospital school in Westminster.

Former education secretary Michael Gove also sent his children to St Mary Abbots.

The school was rated as good by Ofsted two years ago, with inspectors noting parents praised its ‘warm, nurturing environment’ and its beneficial impact on their children’s personal development.

The proportion of poorer pupils is below the local average and is less than half that found nationally.