Girl, 16, held over ‘horrific’ stabbing at school
Attempted murder probe after attack on woman, 61
A HEADTEACHER has described the stabbing of a welfare officer in a school office as “horrific”.
A 16-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the stabbing of the 61-year-old woman member of staff at Winterton Community Academy, near Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, yesterday morning, Humberside Police said.
Headteacher Gareth Morris said it is believed the welfare officer, who he did not want to name, was attacked with a small kitchen knife which was brought into school.
He said the injured staff member was taken to hospital and “she’s recovering”. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, officers have said.
Speaking outside the school, which is at the end of a quiet culde-sac in the rural village of Winterton, Mr Morris said: “The first I knew this morning was when members of staff called for me. My office is not very far away from where the incident happened.
“When I arrived on the scene, the female member of the staff was already being administered first aid by my staff and another member of staff had restrained the pupil. I then assisted restraining the pupil whilst waiting for the emergency services to arrive.”
Mr Morris said his “fantastic” staff dealt with the situation very quickly and professionally. He said: “It was both horrific and very calm at the same time.”
The head said he immediately sent out a text message to all parents saying there had been a serious incident in school but all students were safe and secure.
Following this, he said, most parents took up an option of coming to collect their children, although the school remained open.
He said the woman involved was “a very well regarded member of staff – a very important member of our pastoral team”.
He said: “She was obviously distressed. No doubt she was very shocked at the situation. It’s a very rare incident to happen in this locality and nationally.”
Chief Superintendent Christine Wilson said the school had no history of violent incidents and it remained open.
Ms Wilson said her officers responded to a “fight” in an office in the school and stressed the incident did not happen in a class.
“It happened in an office in the school, so all of the rest of the children were completely safe,” she said. “They were all in their separate classrooms.”
According to the school’s website, the academy has “made an incredible leap forward over the past couple of years”, citing an Ofsted report which progressed from a rating of “special measures” to “good with outstanding features”.
The incident will again raise questions about staff safety in schools.
Teacher Ann Maguire was fatally stabbed by 15-year-old Will Cornick as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds in 2014. And Vincent Uzomah was stabbed in the stomach by a 14-year-old boy in a racially motivated attack at Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford in 2015.
It happened in an office, so all of the children were completely safe. Chief Superintendent Christine Wilson stresses that the indient did not happen in class.