Head Teacher releases statement following Collingham house fire tragedy

Statement from Helen Richardson, Head Teacher at John Blow Primary School.

As many of you must now be aware, we lost two of our pupils through tragic circumstances at the weekend. Izzy and Harvey Collison sadly lost their lives, alongside their mum, Justine, in a house fire on Saturday morning. Their dad, Gavin, is still in a serious condition in hospital and our thoughts go out to him and the rest of the family at this difficult time.

Izzy was a gentle and caring girl who will be deeply missed by all who knew her. She adored her younger brother Harvey, frequently asking at playtime if she and a friend could go and check if he was settling into school. Held in high regard by the rest of her class, Izzy was quiet and unassuming, but this did not stop her from putting her all into everything she did. She enjoyed music, dance and drama which enabled her to express her sense of fun and the creative side of her personality.

Harvey had only recently joined our school, starting in our reception class. He was very creative, always making models in the craft corner. He was always kind and caring: only last week he made a handbag out of cardboard boxes for his mum, because she was always mislaying her phone. Harvey was a lovely, friendly child, and he will be very much missed by us all.

It has been a privilege to know and share in Izzy and Harvey’s lives, so unexpectedly cut short and they will remain with warm fondness in our hearts forever.

We are working with the County Council to provide specialist support to any children who need it to help them cope with their grief. Following their advice, we have also taken the difficult decision to continue with this week’s Christmas activities as the best thing for our children is to keep routines and as close to normality as possible.

We have really appreciated the support from parents and the local community and I know that we will pull together and support each other through the grieving process over the coming months.