A 13-school trust has been issued an improvement notice over safeguarding failings after a pupil was murdered at one of its academies.
Fifteen-year-old Harvey Willgoose was stabbed to death by Mohammed Umar Khan at Sheffield’s All Saints Catholic High School in February 2025.
An external investigation conducted following the attack uncovered numerous failings, including “multiple instances of poor record keeping and communication” in relation to safeguarding matters.
And in an official notice to improve, published on Friday, Department for Education officials told St Clare Catholic MAT, which runs All Saints, it had broken academy rules “given the seriousness of the findings”.
“I recognise the cooperation and extensive discussions that have taken place between the trust and officials,” they said.
“However, this notice will be in place until such time as I have full assurances that there are appropriate and compliant safeguarding controls at the trust.”
‘Oversights and assumptions’
Khan, also 15, had deliberately concealed and taken a hunting knife into the Sheffield school, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
He had also ignored a friend’s plea to hand over the weapon that day to avoid doing “something stupid”.
The teen stabbed Willgoose, a fellow All Saints pupil, twice, once in the chest and once to the abdomen.
Khan was found guilty of murder and carrying a bladed knife onto school premises. He was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 15 years detention.
The notice to improve stated the subsequent external investigation found “weaknesses in the school’s organisational structure and systems which contributed to a series of oversights, assumptions and misjudgements”.
This “affected safeguarding decision-making”.
Guidance ‘not followed’
Government guidance for off-site provision also wasn’t followed, nor was “guidance for arranging managed moves”.
The probe highlighted “multiple instances of poor record keeping and communication with relation to safeguarding matters” and “at least one instance of an unlawful suspension”.
Other guidance around the possession of weapons and searching, screening and confiscation was not followed.
“Given the seriousness of the findings of the external review, it is clear that the trust board has failed to comply with the safeguarding measures outlined in… the academy trust handbook,” the notice added.
“I understand that this decision may be disappointing and want to assure you that I recognise the positive action the trust has taken to date to address the concerns.”
Notices to improve are issued when the DfE has concerns about financial management or governance in an academy trust. The documents describe what a chain must do to to address the concerns.
Failure to comply with the terms of a notice can trigger the termination of a trust’s funding agreement and the rebrokerage of one or more of its schools.
Metal detectors
The trust told Schools Week it has introduced handheld metal detectors to be used by trained staff if they suspect a pupil of “carrying any banned objects”.
Refresher sessions “on safe student restraint” have been held for staff and a bleed kit donated by a charity connected to Harvey’s mother, Caroline, has been installed.
South Yorkshire Police is also holding a monthly drop-in session “to allow students to share any concerns and learn more about knife crime in a safe space”.
Oasis Community Learning Trust has also provided St Clare with “advice and support on student mental health and safety”.
The trust has also worked with Unravel, a children’s psychological support charity, to help staff spot signs of trauma among pupils and to manage youngsters’ welfare at “difficult times”. An on-site educational psychologist has also been brought in.
Safeguarding ‘our highest priority’
The notice ordered the trust to “review and update (where necessary) its current safeguarding policies and establish a process for regular updates and compliance checks”.
It must commission another external review “to identify any gaps and recommendations for improvement” and ensure “all arrangements for transfers, offsite directions, managed moves and reintegration meetings following suspensions” comply with statutory guidance.
A St Clare spokesperson stressed the trust is “working closely with the DfE” and has made progress on each of the seven actions the department has asked to be delivered.
“From the outset, we have proactively engaged with the statutory safeguarding agencies and will continue to do so with a clear focus on providing the best possible environment for students.
“Safeguarding will always be our highest priority, and we remain fully committed to supporting our whole community as we move forward together.”
