Teacher Stabbed With Pencil In Wolverhampton

19 June 2014, 16:08 | Updated: 19 June 2014, 16:23

A 10-year-old schoolboy has been arrested after a teacher was stabbed with a pencil in Wolverhampton.

The boy was arrested on suspicion of assault at New Park School.

West Midlands Police said the teacher "suffered a minor puncture wound to his arm'' during what it described as an "altercation with a pupil''. The force has a permanent presence at the site.

The 60-year-old teacher was taken to hospital for treatment but a spokesman for Wolverhampton City Council, which runs the school, said the man had returned to work.

The pupil who attends the school for students with social, behavioural and emotional difficulties has been bailed.

New Park School, in Cromer Gardens, was placed in special measures following a visit by Ofsted in February this year. Inspectors found pupil behaviour was "poor'' adding the school "lacked strategies'' for how to improve the situation.

The report was also critical of the then headteacher, who has since left the school, for allowing the practice of staff physically handling pupils which it was remarked put both teachers and students at undue risk. However, inspectors also observed there were "many committed staff who have positive relationships with pupils''.

In the most recent monitoring inspection, carried out in May, Ofsted found a new leadership team had worked quickly to make the school "a calmer, safer place''. It added: "Pupils are responding well to the calmer environment.''

A city council spokesman said: "An incident took place at New Park School, in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, where a male teacher received a puncture wound to his arm which required hospital treatment.

"West Midlands Police, who have a full time presence at the school, arrested a 10-year-old year male pupil. "The member of staff was not seriously hurt and was back at work today.''