A PRIMARY school pupil has been excluded for taking a knife into the playground of a church academy school.

The boy was stopped by a teacher at the school gate who spotted the penknife as children were arriving before classes started yesterday morning at Christ Church Academy in Windhill.

Carol Dewhirst, the chief education officer of the Bradford Diocesan AcademiesTrust which runs the school, said the child was immediately isolated and at no point were any pupils children at risk.

She said the police and the boy's parents were called straight away and the pupil was temporarily excluded from the school in Wrose Brow Road.

He will not be able to return until next week, she said while the police investigate.

Bradford Council's executive member for children's services Councillor Ralph Berry said: "It's quite shocking and worrying, but the school has done everything right.

"I would expect there would now be some kind of work with the boy and his family to understand what's going on here. It's certainly not what you would expect in a primary school."

Ms Dewhirst would not reveal the boy's age because she said the matter was in police hands.

A statement from the academy last night said: "There was an incident where a child brought a pen knife to school this morning. This was dealt with promptly and safely by the school staff before the child entered the buildings. The police and relevant agencies were involved."

It added: "Christ Church has a very rigorous set of policies and procedures to manage safeguarding at the Academy to keep our children safe. This was recognised as a strength by Ofsted at our inspection last term."

Police confirmed officers were called to the school at 9.35am yesterday after being told a knife had been confiscated.

Inspector Hugh Robinson, who leads the Shipley Area Neighbourhood Team, said: "Officers are working closely with the school to establish if any offences have been committed."

Windhill ward councillor Alex Ross-Shaw (Lab) said: "We don't know what was going on in the boy's head so it's difficult to understand his intention.

"It's something I'm sure the right agencies will be working on. Thankfully no-one was hurt and the school was quick to get on top of it."

Fellow ward councillor Vanda Greenwood (Lab) added: "I'm relieved the knife didn't get into school."

Last year a Freedom of Information request by the Telegraph & Argus revealed one of eight guns and six of 16 knives seized in Bradford schools in 2012/13 were found in the possession of primary age children.

In the same year, one primary school pupil was permanently excluded for possessing a knife.