Pupils offered counselling after Ammanford school triple stabbing

Staff at the school where two teachers and a pupil were stabbed have gone in today while it remains shut to pupils. A decision will be made later today on whether it will re-open to pupils tomorrow, the chair of governors said.

David Jenkins praised the response of staff and pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and said pupils are being offered counselling. He said the school will re-open as usual on Monday and discussions are being held on whether to re-open for its more than 1,450 pupils to come in for support, but not lessons, on Friday.

Mr Jenkins said he is going in today to speak to headteacher James Durbidge and the local education authority on how and when to re-open. He said the two teachers and pupil injured in the stabbing are recovering well but school and local community is in shock. You can follow latest updates on the incident here

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The bilingual school for children aged 11 to 18, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, went into lockdown for four hours on Wednesday and three people were taken to hospital with non life-threatening stab wounds. A teenage girl has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is in custody. Support award-winning journalism with WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android

Mr Jenkins said: “Staff are in today. We have been debating what to do tomorrow (Friday). We have been debating whether we fully open or let children come in and intermingle (rather than attend lessons) with staff from the county and teachers there. Monday we intend to fully open again.

“I am going in to the school today. The county have promised us assistance and counsellors will be available to children in school and outside school.”

Mr Jenkins praised the response of staff and pupils and said he was confident the school would “move forward” . He said it helped that the school and community are close knit.

“It is something that should not have happened but it did happen and we have to deal with it. I have confidence in how the whole school responded and have confidence we can move forward.

“It is a close knit school in a close knit community. I am going in as chair of governors later today and the county will also go in today.”

He said those injured are doing well: “None are in a life threatening condition. They are doing well in their physical recovery.”

In a message on the school’s website headteacher James Durbidge said there had been a “calm and mature response” to the lockdown. He said work would be provided remotely for pupils while the school is shut.

“Although the school will be closed, I want to reassure pupils, parents and staff that wellbeing support is available to anyone who has been affected. In order to support pupils who wish to follow their ordinary timetabled lessons tomorrow, work will be provided via Google Classrooms.

“Please be aware that key pastoral staff, such as heads of year and deputy heads of year, may be delayed in responding to queries regarding pupils’ work, as they have been directed to provide wellbeing support.”

He also asked everyone to follow Dyfed Powys Police’s request that no social media footage relating to the incident is shared online. He reminded people that investigations are ongoing.