A PRIMARY school in Leamington will not be pressing charges after two of its pupils attempted to spike a teacher’s drink with a cocktail of potentially poisonous chemicals.
Police were called to Clapham Terrace Community Primary School when two ten-year-old boys added a home-made concoction – believed to be a mixture of bathroom products – to a teacher’s coffee flask.
But having been warned of the contents by another pupil, the teacher did not drink it and the two boys were removed from lessons soon afterwards.
The incident, which came just 24 hours after the fatal stabbing of teacher Ann Maguire in Leeds, hit the headlines earlier this week and attracted a host of national press coverage.
But chair of Clapham Terrace’s governing body, Philip Robbins, insisted it was an isolated incident and the pupils involved had been adequately disciplined.
He said: “Clapham Terrace is proud of its reputation as a caring school where pupils’ behaviour and the school’s pastoral care is of a very high standard.
“During the first week of the Summer Term, two of our older pupils added a home-made concoction to a teacher’s drink in the classroom. The teacher was alerted to this and did not drink it.
“With the co-operation of their parents, the two pupils concerned were disciplined in a manner consistent with the school’s normal pastoral policy.”
Mr Robbins said police had been informed and liased with the headteacher owing to the nature of the incident but that neither the teacher concerned nor the school intended to press charges.
He added: “Pupils will receive ongoing guidance and counseling within school but our main concern is to protect the best interests of our children and their families.
“We also want to support the teacher concerned and other members of staff so the school can put this incident behind it and continue providing a high quality of education for its pupils.”
Warwickshire Police confirmed they had been called following concern for a person’s safety to provide advice and guidance to pupils and staff members at the school.
Meanwhile Warwickshire County Council’s head of learning and achievement, Nigel Minns, said the local authority supported the school’s decision to discipline and counsel the pupils involved, adding they were satisfied the matter had been addressed “in an appropriate way.”
The school, which was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted recently, is set to celebrate its 125th anniversary later this year.
