Family pushes for alternate education paths after teen's murder

In Sheffield, the family of 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose campaigns for more education options and safety measures after his death.

Family pushes for alternate education paths after teen's murder

Harvey Willgoose, 15, was stabbed at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield in February. He had not attended for some time but told his mother he planned to go to school that day. A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to Harvey’s manslaughter and was later found guilty of murder; a judge will decide the sentence in due course. The family is focusing on how schools respond to pupils who struggle, and on what happens when attendance becomes a battle rather than a choice.

Harvey’s family says they have been left to carry a heavy burden and want safer, more flexible options for young people who feel pushed to the margins. They are launching Harvey’s Hub, a dedicated youth night at Beighton welfare club, and planning a poster campaign with a QR code for anonymous danger reporting. Caroline Willgoose has met with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to press for spaces where young people can socialise safely, greater knife crime education, and alternative education provisions for those who cannot thrive in traditional settings. Harvey was among about 1.49 million children who were persistently absent from school in 2023-24; he had wanted to work as a bricklayer but could not because of age. The family describes a constant struggle to make school work for Harvey and says they were told to engage with authorities who did not offer the options they needed.

The piece highlights a human cost at the heart of a difficult policy debate. It shows how pressure to attend school can turn into a source of distress for pupils and families, and how the system often fails when it refuses flexible paths. Harvey’s story exposes gaps in mental health support and in practical options that might keep a talented young person on a constructive path. It also points to the value of community spaces and youth work as complements to schools, not afterthoughts. The broader message is clear: without timely, funded alternatives to mainstream schooling, families may feel forced to choose between a rigid system and what comes next, with real risks when that choice is not available.

The article invites readers to rethink how policy makers balance attendance rules with the need for humane and effective routes for at risk youths. It raises questions about how budgets are spent on prevention versus enforcement, and about how to measure success when a student like Harvey dies before a formal plan can take hold. If the state wants to reduce knife crime and absent pupils, it must invest in flexible provision and community-based support that meets young people where they are, not where professionals wish them to be.

Highlights

Harvey’s story asks who will stand up for children who struggle to fit in.