15-year-old Harvey Willgoose had been frightened to go to school over fears of fellow pupils carrying knives, and on his first day back in the classroom, he was murdered in a brutal attack
Murdered Harvey Willgoose had been too terrified to go to school, confiding in his dad that he didn’t want to go in over fears of fellow pupils carrying knives.
Tragically, Harvey’s anxieties are far from unusual, with experts noticing a worrying rise in children, some as young as six years old, taking blades into class with them.
‘School avoider’ Harvey returned to All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on Monday, February 3, asking mum Caroline whether she was proud of him for taking this important step before walking out the door. She confirmed that she was.
Just five minutes into his lunchtime break, 15-year-old Harvey was set upon by classmate Mohammed Umar Khan, 15, who stabbed him in the heart with such force that the blade broke through five ribs. Khan, who was sentenced this week to life with a minimum term of 16 years, was known to have a dark “obsession” with weapons and had previously brought an axe into school with him.
As highlighted by his brave mum Caroline in a previous interview with the Mirror, Harvey had not been a “naughty” boy – he was sadly just one of many “anxious” children who didn’t feel safe at school. And as highlighted by one legal expert, such anxieties aren’t just rooted in emotion alone.
READ MORE: ‘I spoke to Harvey Willgoose’s extraordinary mum on horror day in court’
The Mirror spoke with Marcus Denning, a Principal and Senior Lawyer of MK Law, who specialises in a range of areas, including criminal law and civil litigation. In his line of work, Mr Denning has encountered families who’ve been deeply impacted by the issue of knives in the classroom, and has called upon schools to do more.
He told us: “I am telling you a story that a client of mine shared with me concerning his child, who is completely terrified to go to school. This is a direct result of being aware of the fact that other pupils are carrying knives and that the fear has entirely altered the lives of their family. His case points to a legal problem I have encountered in my civil litigation and advocacy practice.
“The essence of the issue is the failure of the school to fulfil its fundamental obligation in school care. It is a fact that school has a legal duty to offer a safe environment, and the presence of knives is a manifest and predictable threat. The child does not fear only out of emotion, but it is a direct testament to the lack of action of the school.
“I have learned that in cases where an institution cannot do anything to mitigate a known risk, there is a possibility of being sued to take care of the repercussions. The fact that a child lives in constant fear can cause some psychological damage as much as the physical one, and that affects the way this child can learn and succeed in life significantly. The thrust should be put on all the fact that the school violated its duty, not on the fact that the child was justified in the response to a high-risk environment.”
Earlier this month, a chilling BBC investigation found that 1,304 offences involving knives or sharp objects had been reported at schools and sixth form colleges across England and Wales last year. Shockingly, at least 10 per cent of these offences were committed by primary-school-aged children, with Kent Police recording an “assault with injury – malicious wounding” involving a four-year-old pupil.
Meanwhile, officers in the West Midlands reported that a six-year-old brought a flick knife into class, telling staff: “I have a plan… I am going to kill [name of pupil]”. Staff seized the weapon after the boy initially denied having it on him.
Harvey’s mum, Caroline, previously emphasised the extent of the issue of anxious school refusers, sharing: “I feel so guilty. We made his life a misery, we had teachers coming into his bedroom, and he used to say, ‘You don’t understand, I can’t go to school’. But I didn’t know any different and then found out I wasn’t alone, and this was happening to 20 per cent of children.”
Figures showed that about 22.3 per cent of pupils in the academic year 2022/23 were persistently absent, a term which refers to those who’ve missed 10 per cent or more of their school sessions. It is believed that the extended absence from school during the Covid pandemic could have exacerbated ‘Emotionally-based school avoidance’ (EBSA).
This comes amid concerns over heightened “fear and risky behaviour” among those whose education, both in terms of academic and social experiences, was disrupted by the pandemic.
Lisa Boorman, headteacher of Queen’s Online School, told the Mirror: “As an educator, my heart goes out to Harvey Willgoose’s family and the entire school community. No child should ever have to fear for their safety in school, and what happened is a devastating reminder that we must urgently rethink how we support young people, not only through security measures but by addressing the emotional and social needs that sit beneath these crises.
“It is true that the pandemic disrupted social development for many teenagers. Long periods of isolation meant they missed out on learning essential skills such as managing conflict, negotiating friendships and coping with pressure in real-life situations. We can see the impact in rising exclusions and increased anxiety, particularly among pupils with SEND or those who already felt vulnerable or disconnected.”
Ms Boorman, who previously worked at a mainstream secondary school, continued: “When young people feel alienated or unseen, fear and risky behaviour can increase. That is why we must ensure that education settings, whether in person or online, provide safe, structured communities where pupils feel known, supported and listened to.
“In our experience, smaller class environments and personalised pastoral support, including in high-quality online and hybrid schools, can help rebuild trust, reduce anxiety and re-engage pupils in a way that feels safe. Every parent should feel assured not just that their child is learning, but that they are emotionally secure while doing so.”
On the topic of school avoidance, a Department for Education spokesperson previously told the Mirror that, while they’d “inherited a broken school system”, they were seeing a slowing down when it comes to severe absence. The spokesperson said: “We inherited a broken school system, so we are taking decisive action through our Plan for Change to tackle the attendance crisis – and the latest data shows positive green shoots with the biggest year-on-year improvement in attendance in a decade.
“We are making huge progress with over five million more days in school this year and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent, which research shows in time is likely to improve severe absence. We know there is more to do, which is why we are rolling out free breakfast clubs, improving mental health support, ensuring earlier intervention for children with special educational needs and will set out our vision for the school system in the White Paper later this year.”
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READ MORE: Harvey Willgoose: Killer Mohammed Umar Khan seen playing with knife in new footage