A teenage boy is being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a male teacher was stabbed at a Gloucestershire secondary school this morning. The teacher was attacked in a corridor and suffered a single wound, Gloucestershire Police assistant chief constable Richard Ocone said at a press conference this afternoon. The teacher is in a stable condition. The suspect was arrested at around 11 a.m. – two hours after the attack – by firearms officers in Stoke Orchard, around five miles from the school. Ocone added that the motivation is unclear – but it is not thought to be terror-related.

The parent of an eight-year-old at Tewkesbury Academy told the BBC that his daughter video called him from a drama class to tell him of the stabbing – and that her teacher had pulled a wardrobe across the door to protect the pupils from any further attacks. ‘The teachers have been absolutely phenomenal – I’ve seen some video from my daughter and I can just see him [his daughter’s teacher] he’s there supporting the whole class,’ he said.

Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said the PM’s thoughts were with those impacted by this morning’s events, and expressed his sympathies for the ‘individual who has been injured and with the staff and pupils of the school who would obviously be extremely concerned’. He thanked the emergency services, too.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she was ‘deeply concerned’ at the news and that her department was ‘on hand to support the school as the situation unfolds’. Laurence Robertson, MP for Tewkesbury, told the BBC that the incident was ‘very shocking, very sad and worrying’ and that ‘my heart goes out to everyone who is involved’. He added: ‘Weapons have no place in a school or society… This is a very big shock.’ He also wrote on Twitter: ‘My thoughts are with everyone at the scene. And my thanks to the staff, police, Dobbies [the garden centre] and everyone trying to deal with the situation.’

A convoy of six unmarked 4×4 police cars – thought to be carrying armed officers – has left the school grounds and children have gone home.