Mum of murdered Sheffield boy Harvey Willgoose asks for meeting with PM in campaign to tackle school avoidance
“Andy Burnham please let’s meet up and let me tell you Harvey Willgoose’s story”
The mum of Sheffield schoolboy Harvey Willgoose who was murdered in a school knife attack has called for a meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Posting on social media, Caroline Willgoose said she wants to speak to Mr Burnham as part of her ongoing campaign to tackle school avoidance.
15-year-old Harvey was stabbed to death by fellow pupil Mohammed Umar Khan, then aged 15, in the courtyard of All Saints School in February 2025.
For the 18 months before he died, Harvey struggled to attend school but tragically, on the day he died, he had decided to go.
In her post asking for the meeting with Mr Burnham, Caroline said: “Let’s get back on track and get this talked about let’s get the Government to understand our children.
“Andy Burnham please let’s meet up and let me tell you Harvey Willgoose’s story.”
Caroline shared a video with the post, in which she said she knows that at this time of year - when a new school year is about to start - a “black cloud” will be looming over the many families affected by school avoidance.
She said: “I'll have been in the same situation that I know a lot of people are in.
“Because we've had an amazing six weeks' holiday with our Harvey but then that black cloud is looming because kids are starting back at school next week.
“We've had a great time, but then my heart would sink because Harvey was a school avoider and we thought that we were on our own, but now we know we weren't on our own.
“This is needs talking about now, this is very close to my heart, this is what breaks me because our Harvey's last 18 months were shocking because he was a school avoider and I didn't understand that, but I understand it now.
“And we thought we were on our own, but we're not on our own, you're not on your own.”
Caroline, who has also campaigned for knife arches and bleed kits to be installed in schools, is calling a meeting to discuss school avoidance, which will be held at Beighton Miners’ Welfare between 6pm and 8pm on October 2.
She said: “I want people to come and listen to people. You don't have to say anything, you don't have to tell us your story but so you know you're not on your own.
“And bring the kids as well so they can have their say, have a voice.
“But also meet other kids who are in the same situation. Let's get this talked about.”
Jurors convicted Khan, now aged 16, of murdering Harvey at the conclusion of a Sheffield Crown Court trial, following which a reporting restriction protecting his identity was lifted.
In October 2025, he was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years behind bars.