A FIVE-year-old boy smuggled a kitchen knife into school and apparently told fellow pupils it was for "stabbing bad teachers with".
Patrington CofE Primary Academy confirmed staff had seized a knife and the pupil had served a week-long exclusion as punishment.
Some parents have criticised the school, which is run by the Diocese of York, for failing to notify them about the incident.
One parent, who did not wish to be named, told the Mail: "You expect this type of thing to happen in American high schools, not an East Riding primary school.
"I believe the school handled this completely wrong. Parents should have received a letter.
"I have heard the boy pulled the knife out of his bag at the start of the school day, in the cloakroom area.
"He showed the knife to two other small children. He was not jabbing it or anything like that, but he apparently told two other children that it was to stab the bad teachers with."
It is understood no direct threat was made to staff or other pupils and no one was injured.
Parents say they only learned about it after talking to one another at the school gates.
The unnamed parent said: "My former partner says when she dropped our son off at school the next day she saw a child crying.
"That boy's mum told my former partner that he was scared he might be attacked if he misbehaved.
"Apparently, the school wanted to deal with it all internally, but I believe a meeting should have been arranged to discuss what happened.
"For me, that's the big issue here. If there is an incident involving a knife at my child's school I want to be told about it by the headteacher."
Eleanor Course, spokeswoman for the school, said the incident happened on the morning of Monday, October 13.
She said: "A child was overheard by a teacher at the school door of Patrington CofE Primary Academy saying he had a knife.
"A teacher located and removed a kitchen knife in the academy's cloakroom and the child was excluded for a week.
"The academy has been working with the child, his parent, and all appropriate safeguarding and behavioural support from the local authorities, to ensure the child is receiving all possible help.
"At no point were any children or staff in danger from the child in question, so the academy decided not to inform all parents."
Mrs Course apologised for failing to tell parents.
She said: "Patrington CofE Primary Academy is sorry that this decision has caused concern among parents, and would like to apologise for the worry this decision has created.
"However, the academy cannot inform the parents of the full details of the case, as the privacy and wellbeing of the child concerned and his family need to be taken into account.
"The academy wants to reiterate that no children were, or are, in any danger, and all possible steps have been put in place to ensure this incident will not be repeated."
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