Smiling, singing and dreaming of X Factor

Sara Sharif skilled “day by day residing hell” at residence by the hands of her father and stepmother, however in school she was a caring, cheerful “chatterbox”, who beloved singing and dancing, her head trainer mentioned.

Jacquie Chambers instructed the BBC that Sara was a much-loved pupil at St Mary’s Primary School who would “sing to anybody who would hear” and had desires of showing on The X Factor.

Sara attended the varsity in West Byfleet, Surrey, till weeks earlier than she was discovered useless in her bunkbed at residence final 12 months after being murdered by her father and stepmother.

Despite the torment she suffered, Ms Chambers mentioned she was a “cheerful little soul” within the classroom and he or she would all the time be serving to youthful pupils within the playground.

“She would write songs the entire time and he or she would sing to anybody who would hear,” she mentioned.

“She got here into my workplace, and I bear in mind saying to her, ‘Sara, what do you need to do while you develop up?’. She mentioned, ‘I need to be on X Factor. I need to win it’. And she stood by that.”

Ms Chambers mentioned Sara’s classmates had created a buddy bench and a particular award in her honour since her loss of life.

The college’s Sara Singing Award was set as much as discover the “singing stars” of St Mary’s.

“We’ve received a stunning music trophy to award that individual on the finish of the 12 months, and that will likely be one thing we’ll do yearly to recollect her,” she mentioned.

The college additionally held a memorial ceremony following her loss of life.

During the emotional occasion, a white feather fell from the sky, which Ms Chambers took as an indication that Sara was wanting down on them.

“Part of the service was youngsters sharing reminiscences, and the theme that ran via all of their reminiscences was her singing,” Ms Chambers mentioned.

“Her favorite songs was Memories by Maroon 5 and Count on Me by Bruno Mars.”

Both songs have been sung on the service.

Sara’s closest buddies additionally created a reminiscence field in Ms Chambers’ workplace, containing pictures, messages and the white feather.

At the service, every member of her class additionally adorned a part of a bench, which is now used as a part of the varsity’s ‘bench buddy’ scheme.

“She was usually referred to as a mom hen,” Ms Chambers mentioned.

“She would like to take care of all of the little youngsters on the playground, and that is why they considered the buddy bench.”

Sara attended St Mary’s from 12 months two till 12 months 5, when she was withdrawn to be residence schooled in April 2023.

In March 2023 academics on the college seen bruising on Sara’s face, and instructed Surrey County Council Children’s Services.

The Children’s Services investigation into the bruises took six days and the varsity was requested to observe Sara.

This ended when Sara was taken out of faculty the following month.

Ms Chambers couldn’t touch upon this in her interview due to an official evaluation into the involvement of social companies, the police, the NHS and the schooling companies in Sara’s life.

Sara was discovered useless in her bunkbed at her household residence on August 10.

Her father Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, have been discovered responsible of homicide.

Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was convicted of inflicting or permitting the loss of life of a kid on the Old Bailey.

The head trainer added that Sara could be remembered as an “absolute chatterbox” who was “filled with vitality and life”.

“We’re fairly an enormous college, however each grownup knew Sara. I feel that is why we’re impacted by her loss of life, as a result of everybody knew her,” Ms Chambers mentioned.

She mentioned listening to the information of Sara’s loss of life was “the saddest time of my life”.

“The shock was simply immense. Personally, speaking as a head trainer, I do not suppose you are ever prepared for one thing like that,” she added.

“Sara had the cutest, greatest smile together with her little cheeks. We do not have a photograph in class the place she hasn’t received a smile on her face.”