Academies 'must' engage with knife crime discussion

The mother of Harvey Willgoose has welcomed a government commitment to look at improving school access to anti-knife crime projects.

In a meeting with the policing minister, Caroline Willgoose spoke of her pledge to continue to campaign to improve education into the dangers of knives in schools.

Caroline, whose 15-year-old son was fatally stabbed to death at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield, said she's been met with resistance to engage - particularly from academies worried about their "reputation".

Policing minister Sarah Jones vowed to work with the education minister to address some of the "barriers" that Willgoose and other campaigners have faced.

Since her son was killed in February 2025, Caroline has campaigned to introduce knife arches into schools and has handed out first aid bleed kits.

In September she will take part in a BBC Radio Sheffield-hosted anti-knife crime tour of schools.

The tour will see Caroline and breakfast presenter Ellie Colton talking in front of school pupils about the dangers of knife crime, with the event also showing interviews with Harvey's friends and messages from South Yorkshire Police officers.

The majority of academies "declined" the offer of being part of the tour, Caroline said.

"A lot of these academies are frightened," she said.

"They've got knives, but they're shoving it under carpet because of the school reputation - and that's got to stop."

In response, Jones said: "For some schools, they don't want to talk about it because they want parents to think it's a good school - but they must and they should.

"Even if you save one person, then it's worth all the conversations.

"Chances are you'll make hundreds if not thousands of people think twice about how they live their lives."

In May, an independent review commissioned by the trust that runs All Saints Catholic High School identified serious shortcomings in the school's handling of safeguarding concerns.

The Department for Education (DfE) has since issued the trust with a formal notice to improve.

Speaking directly to Caroline, Jones said she would talk to the education minister to "do something" to encourage academies "to engage" with charities and parents who were doing "good work" and had lost "loved ones".

Jones said she was keen to "keep the pressure on to make sure we keep this as the top priority across government".

Reflecting on the commitment after the meeting in London, Caroline said she felt "positive".

"I feel like we're talking about it now, I think things are stepping in the right direction," she said.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North