Portsmouth junior school moves to reassure parents after 'worrying' knife 'incident'

No one was harmed during the “worrying” episode at Penbridge Junior School in New Road, Fratton, which was dealt with “swiftly and effectively” by staff.

Anna Webb, headteacher of Penbridge Infant and Junior School, said in a letter to parents immediate action was taken to ensure the safety of pupils and staff. She said there was no sinister motive for the item being brought into the school as she addressed concerns amid the fatal school stabbing of teenager Harvey Willgoose in Sheffield on Monday.

The headteacher said they contacted the “necessary authorities” after the incident. Police have been approached by The News.

Ms Webb wrote: “I am writing to inform you of an incident which took place in school this morning. A prohibited item was brought onto the school site by a pupil. Thanks to the diligence of the Penbridge Junior School team, we addressed this immediately and took prompt action to ensure the safety of all children and staff and informed the necessary authorities.

“I want to reassure you that this was not brought in with any intent to harm and everyone is safe and well with lessons continuing as usual. Following recent national headlines, we understand that you may be worried about safety in schools, but please be assured that this situation was dealt with swiftly and effectively by the school.

“The safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff is of the greatest importance to us. As such, we have effective measures and policies in place so we can keep everyone safe and will continue to uphold our robust procedures. Over the coming weeks, we will also be educating pupils about the risks of prohibited items and the importance of talking to an adult if they are worried.”

She added: “We also ask you to support us in helping keep everybody safe by ensuring that your child does not bring any unauthorised items into school. As ever, the wellbeing of our pupils is our primary focus. If you have specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via phone or email. Thank you for your ongoing support.”