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Leeds teacher Ann Maguire would not have wanted metal detectors – head Ann Maguire would not have wanted metal detectors, says school head
(about 1 hour later)
The teacher murdered at a school in Leeds in front of her pupils would not have wanted metal detectors introduced, the head of school has said. The teacher killed in front of her pupils at a school in Leeds would not have wanted metal detectors introduced, her headteacher has said, amid a growing row about school safety.
Steve Mort, the head of Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds, where Ann Maguire was killed on Monday morning, said he did not think detectors were necessary, adding that the school was a safe environment. If she had been asked, Maguire would have strongly opposed their introduction, he said. Steve Mort, head of Corpus Christi Catholic college in Leeds, where Ann Maguire was stabbed to death by a pupil on Monday morning, rejected calls for increased security in the light of the tragedy, insisting his school was a safe environment.
Described on Tuesday as an amazing, inspirational teacher, who saw teaching as a vocation rather than a job, the 61-year-old had worked at the school for 40 years and was due to retire at the end of the summer term. If He said Maguire would have strongly opposed the introduction of airport-style detectors.
Mort said: "She was enjoying the latter end of her career although I know, to Ann, that her service to Corpus Christi was not a career. She considered it to be a vocation." Described on Tuesday as an "amazing, inspirational teacher", Maguire had worked at the school for 40 years teaching Spanish and RE and was due to retire at the end of the summer term. A postmortem showed she died of multiple stab wounds.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested after being restrained by teachers and remains in custody. He will be questioned by detectives later on Tuesday, West Yorkshire police said. A postmortem has confirmed that Maguire died of multiple stab wounds. on Tuesday afternoon detectives from West Yorkshire police were due to begin questioning a 15-year-old boy who was arrested at the scene on Monday after being restrained by teachers.
Maguire, 61, was killed in her classroom in the Halton Moor area of east Leeds on Monday morning. Around 30 pupils were "in the vicinity of the incident" and witnessed the attack, Mort said. All were being interviewed by specially trained police and offered counselling.
At a press conference outside the school on Tuesday, DS Simon Beldon, of West Yorkshire police, said the teenage suspect would be questioned by officers "at some point during today". The teenage suspect, who is not being named, was too traumatised to be formally interviewed on Monday in the aftermath of the attack, a police source said.
It would not be a quick process, he warned: "Given his young age, this is a process which needs to be handled very sensitively, and may take some time to complete.
"The pupils who witnessed this incident are still being interviewed by specialist officers who are very experienced in dealing with child witnesses and will ensure that their safety is paramount."
Asked if he was any clearer on what motivated the attack or nearer to understanding what exactly happened, Beldon said: "It's very early days in what we are trying to achieve, so I really don't want to speculate on that."
A crime scene remained in place in the area of the school where the murder took place, said Beldon, but it was "no longer actively under forensic examination".
Police said on Tuesday that Corpus Christi had a dedicated "safer schools officer" stationed in the school, charged with keeping pupils and staff safe, but that she was elsewhere when the attack took place.
"She wasn't in the school at the time of this incident – some of the safer schools officers support a number of schools across the city. This officer partners with another school and unfortunately she was helping that school at the time of this incident," said chief inspector Nik Adams, head of neighbourhood policing in the area.
Martin Dowling, chair of governors at Corpus Christi, said Maguire had recently gone down to a four-day week in preparation for her retirement at the end of the school year.
He said: "Ann was a wonderful and dedicated teacher and will be remembered fondly by all of us. She had taught at Corpus Christi for 40 years and touched the lives of many people in the local community. She also taught the parents of some of our pupils.
"I would also like to pay tribute to the staff and students for the way they have coped with these tragic events."
Paying tribute to Maguire, Richardson told reporters: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Ann's family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.
"Ann was an amazing, inspirational teacher, and a pillar of the local community and a real asset to the city of Leeds."
He said it was the right decision to keep the school open so the community could come together to support one another.
At a special service held in the church next to the school on Tuesday, priests offered prayers not just for Maguire's family but also that of her attacker.At a special service held in the church next to the school on Tuesday, priests offered prayers not just for Maguire's family but also that of her attacker.
Laying flowers outside the school gates on Tuesday, the actor Jim Millea, 55, said he remembered Maguire starting at Corpus Christi in the 1970s, straight from teacher training college. Police confirmed that Corpus Christi had a dedicated "safer schools" officer stationed in the school, tasked with keeping pupils and staff safe, but that she was elsewhere when the attack took place.
Millea went on to appear in Emmerdale after leaving the school and said Maguire took an interest in his career long after he had left. "She said to me how well I was doing and always took an interest," he said. At a press conference outside the school, DS Simon Beldon, of West Yorkshire police, said questioning the suspect would take time. "Given his young age, this is a process which needs to be handled very sensitively, and may take some time to complete," he said.
"She was warm, approachable and very human, really. You could tell she was in the right place." It is thought to be the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom, and the first killing of a teacher in a school since the 1996 Dunblane massacre.
Becky Simmons, 19, shared fond memories of a "long running battle" she'd waged with Maguire over her hair colour. "I started dyeing it from year 9 but it was only in year 11 when Mrs Maguire was my head of year that I really started to get in trouble," she said. Mort said an early decision was made to keep the school open on Tuesday so that everyone could be supported as a community. It was what Maguire would have wanted, he said.
"I remember her publicly telling me off for coming in with a bright pink fringe and my hair bright purple at the back and she had to put me in isolation for three days but privately she told me: 'Don't tell anyone but I quite like it.' She was so lovely." "Ann Maguire always put the needs of the children first. She was concerned about their welfare and safeguarding. And we are absolutely confident that Ann would have wanted the school to have been open today. And that's helped to inform us of the decision that we made."
Maguire's death is thought to mark the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom. He added: "I last spoke to Ann just after the staff briefing yesterday morning and found Ann to be her usual self – she was bubbly, she was a character who enjoyed being in the school community … She was enjoying the latter end of her career although I know, to Ann, that her service to Corpus Christi was not a career. She considered it to be a vocation."
Around 750 of the 1,000-strong student body turned up for lessons, said the head – "a real sign of solidarity among the students and the staff of the school".
Sister Catherine, a nun from the neighbouring convent, described the atmosphere in the school as "sombre and sad but very peaceful".
She said normal lessons went ahead but children were allowed to go to the school's chapel and write prayer intentions or light candles. "The children were talking to each other about what they have experienced and what is in their hearts," said the nun.
Martin Dowling, chair of governors at the school, said the mood inside the school was "calm and reverent. The children have been absolutely amazing – we've had assemblies, services and the children have responded in a magnificent manner, as have the staff."
When school finished for the day, pupils outside the gates stopped to look at the hundreds of bouquets of flowers spread along a 50-yard stretch of the school's railings.
Earlier at a service in the Corpus Christi church next door to the school, former pupils across the age ranges joined together. Monsignor Paul Fisher led prayers for all affected by the tragedy.
He said: "We pray for all those young people at our school next door and their teachers. We pray for Anne's family and friends. We pray for Ann. We offer prayers too for the family of the man who, unfortunately, did what he did. We pray for ourselves."
After the service, former pupils young and old paid tribute to Maguire. Becky Simmons, 19, shared fond memories of a "long-running battle" she had waged with Maguire over her hair colour.
"I started dyeing it from year 9 but it was only in year 11, when Mrs Maguire was my head of year, that I really started to get in trouble," she said. "I remember her publicly telling me off for coming in with a bright pink fringe and my hair bright purple at the back, and she had to put me in isolation for three days, but privately she told me 'don't tell anyone but I quite like it'. She was so lovely."