Primary school in Rowley Regis praised for organising tragic Shay Kang's funeral after mother stabbed her to death
The primary school attended by tragic pupil Shay Kang has been praised by a judge for continually raising concerns about her welfare and organising her funeral.
Ten year-old Shay Kang from Rowley Regis was stabbed to death by her paranoid schizophrenic mother Jaskirat Kaur, 33, on March 4 who was sentenced to an indefinite stay at secure mental health unit at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday.
Due to her mother being incarcerated, and a lack of wider family, Shay's funeral was organised by Brickhouse Primary School after £8,875 was raised for the service in September.
The school's pastoral, safeguarding and wellbeing officer Carla Newby told the court pupils, staff and parents had all been deeply affected by Shay's violent death.
Justice Michael Chambers KC told Mrs Newby: "The school went above and beyond in their response to this tragedy. And I would like to thank you for going above and beyond in what has been a very tragic set of circumstances."
The court heard Kaur was "deeply grateful" to the school for organising her daughter's funeral.
The school plan to create a special memorial garden in honour of Shay where pupils, staff and parents can visit to reflect on the young girl's life.
Primary school requested a 'safe and well' visit to Shay Kang's home
In the year leading up to the killing the court heard that the school requested a 'safe and well' visit to Shay's home from West Midlands Police due to Kaur refusing to send her to school. Officers found the mother paranoid and often in darkness and advised her to see a GP but she ignored that advice.
Teachers who saw bodycam footage of the girl after seven months away from school were shocked to see how she had regressed physically and mentally, she was unable to talk and walk properly.
On her return to school Shay told teachers she had had no-one to speak with at home and spent her time in separate rooms and "did nothing and went nowhere".
She would spend her time daydreaming or playing on her Nintendo DS and there was no physical affection between mother and daughter.
The school also alerted Sandwell Council social services who visited the address but did not order the child to be removed from Kaur's care.
