The family of Harvey Willgoose, who was murdered during a school lunchtime, say an unreleased report shows the school saw “130 red flags” relating to his killer before the stabbing.
Harvey was just 15 when he was stabbed by Mohammed Umar Khan, also 15, at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield a year ago.
Khan and Harvey are said to have a brief falling out on social media following an incident at school five days before the stabbing.
CCTV shown during the trial depicted Khan shoving Harvey in the school corridors just hours before stabbing him twice with a hunting knife at lunchtime.
Harvey was pronounced dead at the scene. Khan was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years.
Now, 12 months on from the tragedy, an external investigation into the incident has been completed, though the findings have not yet been published.
Harvey’s family, who have seen the “devastating” report, say it shows “missed opportunities” that demonstrate Khan’s violent tendencies before the murder.
Speaking at a press conference, Harvey’s grandmother, Maria Turner, said many “red flags were missed”, but there was one that “stood out”.
Harvey Willgoose died at All Saints Catholic High School on February 3 | FAMILY HANDOUT
Mohammed Umar Khan, 15, was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 16 years in October
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PA“Umar’s school record from Silverdale [School] had 130 incidents including violence, gangs, weapons and anger and the school didn’t pick up on this – and if they did, it was too late,” Mrs Turner said.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell said an investigation, which was carried out by a former headteacher and inspector of schools, found the school “could, and at times should, have taken different action”.
They added leaders at the school were guilty of “oversights, assumptions and misjudgements”.
The firm details how the report failed to deal with multiple reports involving Khan and weapons.
The knife used by Mohammed Umar Khan, 15, to kill fellow pupil Harvey Willgoose | PA
During the trial, the court heard Khan had an “unhealthy” interest in weapons, while media found on his phone showed him posing with knives among other weapons.
On one occasion, Khan is said to have carried a knife and brought a BB gun on a school trip. Staff carried out a search but failed to investigate further.
Khan was later found with an axe in his bag off-site, and while police were informed, no follow-up was carried out in school.
There are 10 recommendations in the report to improve safety, such as mandatory record-sharing between schools – Khan moved to Harvey’s school months before the stabbing – and more clarity on safeguarding and weapons-response policies.
Harvey WIllgoose’s family say the report found ‘130 red flags’
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PA
“Harvey was the light of our lives,” Harvey’s mum, Caroline, said.
“Anyone who knew him will tell you he was a fun‑loving, cheeky, sociable kid who filled every room with energy. He had big dreams, he was always laughing, always bringing people together. Losing him has torn a hole in our family that will never be repaired.
“Every day since Harvey was taken from us has been agony. I still hear his voice saying ‘I love you’ before he left for school that morning — the last words he ever said to me.
“No parent should outlive their child, and certainly not because of something as senseless and avoidable as a knife being brought into school.
“Reading the findings of this report has been devastating. 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 deserved better. All the children in that school deserved better.
“We’ll always be angry by what happened to Harvey, but more than anything, I’m determined to unite people to bring about change for the better.”
The trust which runs All Saints said it would not release the report in full due to sensitive personal information.
Chief executive Steve Davies said they have “already implemented a number of robust measures over the last year and will continue to take action in line with the report’s recommendations and external advice from the statutory safeguarding agencies.”