THE mother of young Harvey Willgoose who was murdered whilst at school earlier this year has donated a knife arch to Penistone Grammar School and it’ll be used across the community as an education tool.
The 15-year-old was stabbed with a 13cm serrated edged blade at All Saints High School on February 3 and within a minute he lost consciousness and died.
A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of murdering Harvey in August but has not yet been sentenced.
Since his death, Harvey’s parents Caroline and Mark have been calling for knife arches the metal detectors used in courts and at airports to be brought in in secondary schools to stop other families suffering the same ordeal.
On Tuesday, a portable knife arch will be delivered to Penistone Grammar and pupils will have the chance to speak with Harvey’s close friends about the dangers of knife crime.
Katie Crook, associate vice principal at the school, said: “We are deeply honoured that Caroline Willgoose, the mother of Harvey whose tragic death touched so many has chosen Penistone Grammar School as the recipient of a donated portable knife arch.
“This generous and symbolic donation will be formally presented to the school next week as part of a wider initiative to raise awareness about knife crime and promote community safety.
“As part of this event, all students will have the opportunity to meet with some of Harvey’s close friends, who will be visiting the school to speak with them about the dangers of knife crime, the importance of making safe choices, and the power of community support.
“These conversations are intended to be supportive, informative, and empowering for our young people.”
Katie said that although the school does not have a knife problem, the arch will be used as an educational tool and will also be in action at community events around the area.
She added: “The knife arch itself will not be a permanent fixture at Penistone Grammar School.
“Instead, it will be shared across the local community as a preventative and educational tool to support the safety and wellbeing of young people in our area.
“We are proud to be part of this forward-thinking initiative and to contribute to a wider effort to keep our communities safe.
“We want to reassure you that we do not have a knife or weapon issue at Penistone Grammar School.
“However, we are committed to being proactive and preventative in our approach to student safety.
“In the highly unlikely event that we have reason to suspect a student may be in possession of a weapon, we may request that they pass through the knife arch as part of our safeguarding procedures.
“This would always be handled sensitively and in line with our safeguarding and behaviour policies.
“Please also be assured that no student will be required to walk through the knife arch during the event.
“It will be entirely voluntary, and any student with a medical condition or concern will not be asked to participate.
“Our priority is to ensure that all students feel safe, respected, and reassured throughout this process.”
