Pictured: Teacher who two ten-year-old pupils tried to poison by spiking her coffee with toxic fluid when her back was turned



Primary school children put toxic substance into teacher's coffee flask

Luckily, another pupil alerted her to danger before she took a sip

Police were called to school in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire after incident

No action taken after school decided to deal with incident internally



Pictured for the first time today is the primary school teacher two ten-year-old boys allegedly tried to poison just one day after the killing of Ann Maguire.



The two pupils reportedly poured a deadly bleach-like chemical into teacher Emma Place's stainless steel coffee flask while her back was turned.



Emma, 39, was about to take a sip of the poisoned drink when another pupil told her what had happened. She was said to have opened the container and was overwhelmed by the toxic smell.

The pupils have been disciplined, though Clapha, Terrace Community Primary School in Leamington Spa, declined to say what punishment had been to the boys.



Clapham Terrace Community Primary School teacher Emma Place (pictured) was reportedly the target of a poisoning attempt, when two 10-year-old boys allegedly poured a deadly bleach-like chemical into her coffee



'PUPILS WILL RECEIVE GUIDANCE'

Chairman of the Governing Body at the school today said the school's main concern is to protect the best interests of its pupils and staff.

P hilip Robbins, said: 'During the first week of the summer term, two of our older pupils added a home-made concoction, believed to be a mixture of bathroom products, to a teacher's drink on her desk in the classroom. 'The teacher was alerted to this and did not drink her drink. 'With the co-operation of their parents, the two pupils concerned were removed from their normal lessons and were disciplined by the school, in a manner consistent with the school's normal pastoral policy. 'Pupils will receive ongoing guidance and counselling within school. 'Owing to the nature of the incident, the police were informed and liaised with the headteacher. Neither the teacher concerned nor the school intends to press charges. 'Clapham Terrace School is proud of its reputation as a caring school where pupils' behaviour and the school's pastoral care are of a very high standard. 'Our main concern, following this incident, is to protect the best interests of our children and their families, and to support the teacher concerned, and other members of staff so that the school can put this incident behind it and continue with its normal business of providing a high quality of education for its pupils.'

Police were called to the Warwickshire school last Tuesday, where the flask was seized.



In a statement confirming that disciplinary action had been taken, Clapham Terrace's chair of governors, Philip Robbins, said the teacher involved did not wish to press criminal charges.

Mr Robbins said: 'During the first week of the summer term, two of our older pupils added a home-made concoction, believed to be a mixture of bathroom products, to a teacher's drink on her desk in the classroom.

'The teacher was alerted to this and did not drink her drink.

'With the cooperation of their parents, the two pupils concerned were removed from their normal lessons and were disciplined by the school, in a manner consistent with the school's normal pastoral policy.'

It is believed the two pupils belonged to a gang at the school who called themselves 'The mafia', who had drawn up a 'hit list' of six teachers.

It has been suggested that the boys who poured the bleach-like liquid into their teacher's coffee were 'having a joke that went wrong' it emerged today.

A parent, whose son is friends with one of the boys, said: 'From my perspective it's pranking that got the children into this trouble.

'The children have been spoken to and they are trying to move on from it.



'One of them is a great friend of my son and not a wayward lad.



'The parents are very upset. They both come from good families and they have dealt with it.



'The boys are very upset and the school is very good. The teachers are well liked. I think my son has been a bit upset about it.



'I just think their imagination got the better of them. As far I was aware it had been dealt with and now it has been all blown out of proportion.



'I think things had gone back to normal. The boys are ok, one of them is a bit of a wild card. It was a big shock really.



'We have had four boys at that school and it is a really shame. It is a really lovely old Victorian school.





'With the cooperation of their parents, the two pupils concerned were removed from their normal lessons and were disciplined by the school, in a manner consistent with the school's normal pastoral policy' - Philip Robbins, chair of Governors

'The teacher who it happened to was their supply teacher as their teacher was off having an operation.



'I think this one could be strict but their SATS are coming up. It just got out of hand. Clearly a joke that went wrong.



'I think the boys and their families have been very upset since they realised how serious it was what they had done.'

Parents and former staff members today told of their 'shock' at what had happened.

The boys were suspended following the incident at Clapham Terrace Community Primary School in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, which caters for 191 children aged 3-11.

Meanwhile it emerged the girl who informed on the two boys was presented with a special bravery award at the school assembly.

Warwickshire Police were called into the school and quizzed the youngsters about the alleged poison plot - just 24 hours after tragic teacher Ann Maguire was stabbed to death in the classroom in Leeds.

The boys were not arrested and are now believed to be allowed back into school.

Police were called to Clapham Terrace Community Primary School in Leamington Spa, Warwick after the incident

Today a former member of staff expressed her shock at the incident.

A former teaching assistant, who left the school 15 years ago, said: 'I am genuinely shocked.



'There are some kids that cause problems but you get that in any school but not like this and so soon after that teacher was killed. It is really worrying.



'I just hope the children didn't really know what they were doing. It is a wonderful school. I didn't want to leave but my contract ended.



'I did all my training there and now I'm in a secondary school where a lot of the kids come on to.

'They are always very nice children, it really is such a shock.'

And parents told of their horror that the boys had been allowed to have bleach in school.

Daniel Taylor, 40, whose son attends the school, said: 'It's horrific to think these kids are walking around with bleach in their school bags and then have the idea to actually put into a teacher's coffee.

'Who knows if the murder of the teacher in Leeds (Ann Maguire) somehow inspired these lads to try and kill off their own teacher.



The shocking incident came just days after the killing of teacher Ann Maguire in Leeds

'God knows what was going through their heads but it's more than worrying.



'It's obviously time schools searched pupils bags every day.

'It's sad to admit, but maybe schools in this country aren't as safe as everyone would hope.

'The girl who told the teacher about the bleach received an award at assembly last week.



'The pupils weren't told the exact details of what she did but she was said to have been "very brave" because of her actions.'

Another parent told The Sun: 'A small gang had formed calling themselves the mafia. They had apparently written down a list of six teachers.

'It's impossible to say how much malice was behind it, or whether it was simply a playground prank that went too far.



'This is a good, friendly primary school so no one can understand how this incident has happened.

'It has left the parents who know about it in shock.



'Particularly coming in the same week as the tragedy of the teacher killed in Leeds.'



Philip Robbins, chair of governors, said yesterday: 'We are just interested in protecting the interests of the teachers and the families.

'The police are involved and we just want to draw a line under it.



'Emma dealt with it well. Of course the school is giving her support.



'The school has dealt with the situation appropriately and we're hoping to move on. It was put in the hands of the police.



'Neither the school nor the teacher are pressing charges. The pupils were not arrested as far as I'm aware. Nobody knows what the substance was.'

A spokesman for Warwickshire Police said: 'Police were called to Clapham Community Primary School following a concern for a person's safety. Officers provided advice to pupils and teaching staff.



' God knows what was going through their heads but it's more than worrying. It's obviously time schools searched pupils bags every day' - Shocked parent Daniel Taylor

'It was determined it was an isolated incident and was dealt with internally by the school.

'The evidence was taken away by police but were guided by the school that it was an isolated incident that got out of hand. I don't think the pupils realised the seriousness or the severity of the situation.'

The incident came less than a week after Ann Maguire, 61, was stabbed to death by a one of her students at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds.

Shop owner Taj Singh, 40, who runs a newsagents next to the school and knows many of the pupils by name, said: 'I can't believe that has happened. It seems a very good school.



'Everyday the kids and teachers come in here and we have a good relationship with them. We never have any problems with them.'

Meanwhile a woman who lives next to the school and reads stories to the younger pupils a few times a week, added: 'I was in the school last Thursday and Friday and I didn't hear anything about it.