YP Comment: Safety of teachers

The first teacher to lose their life in Britain since Philip Lawrence’s murder in 1995, it’s impossible to legislate for the actions of a pupil whose previous behaviour had not caused alarm and who demonstrated a “bizarre calmness and air of normality” moments after stabbing Mrs Maguire to death at Corpus Christi College.

Given these circumstances, and how such safeguarding reports like this invariably often apportion blame, it’s also important to acknowledge independent reviewer Nick Page’s central conclusion: “No one could have predicted or pre-empted Will Cornick’s attack on Ann Maguire and following her murder, individuals and organisations acted courageously, coherently and professionally in supporting the school and affected people.”

Yet, while there are some procedural lessons to be learned, this is one of those reports which every headteacher, and LEA boss, needs to read and reflect upon. Are they doing enough to protect teachers? Can any protocols be improved?

Given Cornick’s Facebook posts before the murder, is there a means by which pupils can report – anonymously – any bravado on social media that might, in fact, reveal dangerous motives? There is no-size-fits-all solution, but the education establishment owes it to the Maguire family to tackle these questions and keep classroom safety under review at all times.

Inside the mind of Leeds boy whose ‘dark sense of humour’ led him to murder his teacher in cold blood