Co-op Academy Manchester has issued a new statement following a stabbing incident on Tuesday morning that left three people injured, including a male staff member and two pupils. The school praised the bravery of staff who intervened to detain a student before emergency services arrived.
Incident Details
Emergency services rushed to the Co-op Academy on Plant Hill Road in Blackley earlier today after reports of a serious incident, prompting a lockdown of the school. Co-op Academies Trust, which operates the high school, has now provided further details, revealing that the incident occurred at the start of the school day and that there had been no prior reason to conduct a search on any student that morning.
A spokesperson for the Trust stated: 'Shortly after the start of the school day, an incident occurred on site involving a pupil with a knife. The school was immediately placed into lockdown, and staff acted bravely to quickly detain a student before emergency services arrived.'
Police Response
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) arrested the student, who remains in custody. Police have confirmed this was an isolated incident with no wider threat to the public. Three people—two pupils and a member of staff—sustained injuries and were taken to hospital as a precaution. They are in a stable condition with injuries not believed to be serious.
The spokesperson added: 'While our policies outline strict screening and search powers in line with Department for Education guidance, weapons can unfortunately be small and easily concealed without prior indicators. We had no reason to conduct a search on any student this morning.'
Support for Students
The school will be providing full emotional support to students. The spokesperson said: 'We are incredibly proud of the swift actions of our staff and the mature response of our pupils. School will reopen as normal tomorrow, Wednesday 10th June. Full emotional support will be in place for pupils, and local officers will maintain a reassuring presence in the area.'
Injuries Confirmed
GMP confirmed that a 14-year-old schoolgirl, a 14-year-old schoolboy, and a 27-year-old male member of staff were injured. Their injuries, consistent with knife wounds, were described as non-serious. The Manchester Evening News understands the male staff member was stabbed in the neck, the girl suffered knife injuries to her shoulder, and the boy suffered injuries to his ear.
A 14-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault and remains in custody. Chief Inspector Jon Shilvock said: 'We understand that this incident will have caused concern to pupils, staff and the wider school community. The incident was swiftly and quickly dealt with by staff before officers attending to arrest the girl. There is believed to be no wider threat at this time.'
Parent Reactions
Parents have expressed shock, including Malik Rehman, whose Year 9 son witnessed the incident. He described it as a 'frightening' morning for the family. Another parent said: 'This is all so scary. Parents found nothing out from school, it was all from Facebook. My child should be enjoying the last few days in school and not worrying and being in lockdown.'
The school will continue to provide support and maintain a visible police presence in the area.
