Harvey Willgoose: School where 15-year-old was stabbed to death held anti knife crime course

Harvey, a pupil at All Saints Catholic High School in the city, died after a stabbing incident on Monday at the school.

Knife crime involving teenagers is a “national crisis that needs a national response”, the former children’s commissioner for England has suggested.

But Baroness Anne Longfield, former Children’s Commissioner, said: “I wouldn’t like to see teachers in stab vests or bodycams or metal scanners.

“We can’t turn our schools into fortresses or heighten feelings of school being a dangerous place.

“Knife crime instances inside schools do remain extremely rare.”

It emerged yesterday that the school had previously engaged with anti-knife crime work, holding workshops for pupils.

Anthony Olaseinde, founder and chief executive of Always An Alternative, a charity supporting young people and raising awareness about knife crime, gang culture and anti-social behaviour, said he held a small seven-week knife crime awareness programme at the school in 2022.

“I just hope there were no warnings beforehand that were missed,” the 37-year-old said.

“If it was going to happen, then there’s nothing you can do – you can’t prepare yourself for a random attack.

“But if there were signs that this was going to happen, and this has happened as a result, then it’s not looking very good on the school.”

Mr Olaseinde offered the anti-knife programme to several schools across Sheffield and he said All Saints Catholic High School was keen to be involved and put forward a small group of pupils to take part.

It came as friends paid tribute to Harvey Willgoose on Tuesday by laying flowers outside the school on Granville Road.

And Sheffield United football club, who Harvey supported, also said plans were underway to mark the fan’s death.

A spokesperson said: “All at Sheffield United were saddened to learn of the passing of Harvey, our deepest condolences are offered to his family and friends at this difficult time.

“We share the shock and distress of the community following this tragic incident and appreciate that discussions are underway with regards to tributes to remember Harvey.”

Her words came as a 14-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of attempted murder on Monday after attacking two teachers and another pupil at a school in South Wales.

Teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin, and a pupil, were stabbed at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on April 24 2024.

Baroness Longfield, executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives think tank, said: “Both events, and the many other incidents of serious violence and knife crime involving teenagers, are a sign of the worrying trend of some young people carrying and using knives.

“While thankfully these tragedies are still very rare, I am very concerned that many children are increasingly worried about their safety, particularly outside school.

“It seems hardly a week passes without a teenager being attacked, often by another teenager.”

She added: “Local services should be working with schools to recognise and respond to the early signs of vulnerability and exploitation – whether that’s skipping school, a parent finding a burner phone in their bag, a change in their behaviour – so that no child feels the need to carry a knife.”

Patrick Green, from knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “Schools are generally safe places and schools, teachers, school governors work incredibly hard to keep them that way.

“For the most part that’s exactly what they are, they are places where young people feel safe. However, we have seen a growing number of incidents in schools.

“Stopping knife crime feels like trying to stop the tide coming in, that despite your best efforts it breaches and it breaches in places that you didn’t expect.

“School would be one of the places we wouldn’t expect to see it because there is such a focus on safety.”

He said that in order to cut knife crime, which rose four per cent in the year to June 2024, the cuts of £1.2bn made to youth services since 2010 must be addressed.