'She was more than a teacher' - Ann Maguire's sister speaks of heartbreak

“If you spent just a few minutes in Ann’s company, you would feel like you were the most special person in the world.

“Ann was born to be a teacher and transformed so many children’s lives for the better.”

Shaking her head helplessly, Denise Courtney reveals how it is still difficult for the family to believe that Ann was taken from them in such a shocking and cruel way and she admits there are times when it still feels like a horrific nightmare.

Denise, 52, says: “It is surreal. There are times when we look back and think: ‘Has this really happened to us?’ And then the reality hits us that it has.

“For something so horrific to have happened to your family and your sister is difficult to deal with.

“It was all just so senseless and needless and it is something you never recover from.

“It is beyond comprehension that something like this could happen.”

Ann Maguire, 61, who taught Spanish, was stabbed to death by her 15-year-old pupil Will Cornick in front of horrified classmates at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds, where she had taught for over four decades.

The murder shocked the nation and is the only case in which a teacher has been killed by a pupil in a British classroom.

The culprit Will Cornick was sentenced to life by a judge who ordered he must serve at least 20 years and warned he may never be released.

Cornick showed a complete lack of remorse for the crime and his motive was an “inexplicable and irrational hatred” of Ann who was simply carrying out her duty as a teacher.

Ann had always wanted to be a teacher and after going to Leeds Trinity University.

She settled down in the city and got a job at Corpus Christi Catholic College where she spent the duration of her teaching career.

Smiling, Denise, who lives in Warrington, says: “Ann loved being a teacher and was born to be one. “It was a vocation for her not a job.

“She absolutely loved that school and never considered moving to another school.

“This makes what happened even more tragic, senseless and incredibly sad.”

Ann was 12 when Denise was born and Denise says all the sisters shared a close relationship.

When their other sister Eileen, a primary school teacher died of cancer at the age of 35, Ann took in and brought up her two nephews.

Ann loved learning Spanish at school and was inspired by her own Spanish teacher to become a teacher herself.

Denise says there is not a day that the family don’t think about what happened to Ann and she and her older sister Shelagh talk about her every day.

Another Christmas and New Year without Ann was very difficult for the family.

Denise says: “Ann was one of the kindest and most selfless people you would ever meet.

“Just a few minutes in her company and you would feel like you were the most special person in the world.

“Ann was so caring and kind and transformed so many children’s lives.

“She ran a school choir and so many people have told us they fulfilled their ambitions and dreams because of Ann particularly in the field of music.

“Ann made them realise their worth and their potential.”

Laughing fondly as she remembers, Denise reveals Ann had a novel way of recruiting pupils to join the school choir.

She says: “Ann would recruit children to the choir by saying: ‘You can have a detention or you can join the choir.’ “

Many of them said: ‘But I can’t sing!’ and then joined the choir and found they had a voice. Some of the pupils went on have a career in music or joined a band all because of Ann.”"

Denise says Ann taught generations of children in the area.

She had taught the parents and grandparents of some of her pupils as she had been at that school for so long.

Denise says: “The children loved her. She was more than a teacher.

“She was their friend and confidante. She was always there for them.”

On her own loss, Denise simply says: “Ann was my best friend, my soulmate and my big sister.

“I shared everything with Ann and we talked all the time.

“I can’t believe she has gone and it was all so senseless and needless.”

The interview comes after the Yorkshire Evening Post revealed yesterday that the number of children caught with knives in Leeds schools has more than doubled in the last year - from 20 in 2016 to 51 last year.

Although Denise thinks it is frightening to hear how many children are found in possession of knives and weapons in schools, she is firmly against the idea of body scanners in schools and is adamant Ann wouldn’t have wanted that either.

She believes education and awareness is the most powerful weapon.

Denise explains: “I know my sister Ann would not have wanted things like metal detectors or body scanners in schools.

“Education and teaching people was everything to Ann and I know she would think in essence it is about teaching young people what is right and what is wrong.

“In her eyes, the best way of dealing with the issue of knife crime would be talking about it and raising awareness through education - not technology such as scanners.”

Denise says education is the key - not just to knife crime, but any other issues in schools such as bullying, threats and assaults.

Denise says: “In Ann’s situation, the culprit talked about what he was going to do that morning but the other children clearly did not believe him and thought it was just bravado.

“People need to talk about any issues in schools such as seeing another pupil with a knife or weapon or any threat.

“There should be a forum where children can go and report these things without fear of repercussion.

“There should be safe places for children to go if they feel there is a threat.

She added: “It is about educating and encouraging children to come forward with any of their concerns and raising them with an adult and not being fearful.”