School Closes Doors After Threat

May 14, 2026, 17:11
UKSociety

Introduction

Childwall Sports and Science Academy in Liverpool closed its doors on May 14. A teenager sent a threat to one student.

Main Body

The school started a lockdown before 12:00 pm. Students stayed in their classrooms. They did not go out for lunch. The school sent messages to parents. They told parents to stay away from the school. Some parents still came to the school gates. Police came to the school to help. They said the other students were safe. The police arrested a 16-year-old boy.

Conclusion

The police caught the boy. Now the school is open and normal again.

Learning

🕰️ Talking about the Past

Look at how the story tells us what happened. Most words end in -ed because the event is finished.

  • close → closed
  • start → started
  • stay → stayed
  • arrest → arrested

Wait! Some words are 'rebels' and change completely:

  • send → sent
  • tell → told
  • come → came
  • say → said

🚫 Saying 'No' in the Past

To say something did NOT happen, we use did not + the normal word (no -ed!).

  • Wrong: They did not stayed.
  • Right: They did not go out for lunch.

Quick Tip: When you see "did not", the action word goes back to its simplest form.

Vocabulary Learning

school (n.)
a place where children learn
Example:I go to school every day.
closed (adj.)
not open
Example:The shop is closed on Sundays.
doors (n.)
openings in a wall that you can open or close
Example:Please close the doors when you leave.
teenager (n.)
a young person aged 13 to 19
Example:My sister is a teenager.
threat (n.)
a warning that something bad will happen
Example:He made a threat to the teacher.
student (n.)
a person who goes to school
Example:The student answered the question.
lockdown (n.)
a situation where everyone stays inside a building
Example:The school had a lockdown during the emergency.
classroom (n.)
a room where lessons are taught
Example:The teacher wrote on the classroom board.
lunch (n.)
a meal eaten in the middle of the day
Example:We have lunch at noon.
messages (n.)
written or spoken information
Example:She sent a text message to her friend.
parents (n.)
the mother and father of a child
Example:The parents signed the permission slip.
stay (v.)
remain in the same place
Example:Please stay in your seat.
away (adv.)
at a distance from the speaker
Example:He walked away from the noise.
gates (n.)
large doors at the entrance of a place
Example:The gates were locked at night.
police (n.)
people who enforce the law
Example:The police helped the victims.
help (v.)
to assist or support someone
Example:Can you help me with this book?
safe (adj.)
not in danger or harm
Example:The children were safe inside the school.
arrested (v.)
taken into custody by the police
Example:He was arrested for breaking the rules.
boy (n.)
a male child
Example:The boy played with his friends.
caught (v.)
captured or seized
Example:The police caught the thief.
open (adj.)
not closed, available to use
Example:The door is open.
normal (adj.)
usual, regular, or expected
Example:After the incident, life returned to normal.