LET'S PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM KNIFE HARM

On the first anniversary of the murder of Harvey Willgoose, 15, his mother calls for knife arches in all secondary schools to prevent further tragedy

- BY ALYCIA MCNAMARA

THE mother of a 15-year-old boy killed by a fellow pupil a year ago today is calling for mandatory knife arches in all schools and colleges.

A report into the fatal stabbing of tragic Harvey Willgoose warns that concerns about the killer were not acted upon effectively by the school.

His grieving mum Caroline, 52, said: "Harvey deserved better. All the children in that school deserved better.

"We'll always be angry by what happened to Harvey, but I'm determined to bring about change for the better."

The report today tells how killer Mohammed Umar Khan, also 15, had been investigated for carrying a knife and had brought a BB gun on a school trip in 2024, yet staff had "failed to investigate further, complete a risk assessment or put a safety plan in place".

Two months later, an axe was also found in Khan's bag.

Harvey had started avoiding classes amid fears about other pupils carrying knives at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield.

Caroline said it was "devastating" to read the findings of the review commissioned by St Clare Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which runs the school.

She said: "To see in black and white the chances there were to step in, the signs that were missed and how many opportunities there were to protect my boy is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life." Harvey was fatally stabbed by his former friend Mohammed after a row between two other boys escalated on social media.

Teachers and paramedics tried to save Harvey after the horrifying lunchtime stabbing but the teenager was pronounced dead in hospital.

Khan was found guilty of murder at Sheffield crown court last year and sentenced to a minimum 16 years in prison.

The report published today finds that concerns which were raised about Khan carrying a knife and his escalating behaviours were not acted upon effectively by the school.