Police ‘seal off rifle vary’ after Emma Pattison and household deaths

‘Gunshots’ have been heard at Epsom School earlier than headteacher Emma Pattison, her husband and their seven-year-old daughter have been discovered useless of their home within the college grounds, in accordance with stories. 

The our bodies of Mrs Pattison, 45, her chartered accountant husband, George, 39, and their daughter Lettie have been found by cops after they have been referred to as to the celebrated £42,000-a-year public college at simply after 1am yesterday. 

Surrey Police, which has reported their deaths to the coroner, mentioned the tragedy was an ‘remoted incident’ with ‘no third-party involvement’. 

A supply informed The Telegraph a member of employees referred to as 999 after listening to gunshots. 

The household’s home is subsequent to the college’s indoor rifle vary, which appeared to have been cordoned off this morning, the newspaper reported. A supply added that no dwell ammunition was stored there. 

Forensics officers have been seen going into the home and a blue tent has been arrange close by.

Epsom, which costs boarders as much as £42,000 a yr, was the 2022 Unbiased College of the Yr. Its alumni embody BBC presenter Jeremy Vine and BBC Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell. 

At the moment it issued a press release calling Mrs Pattison’s dying ‘surprising and tragic’, whereas former colleagues mourned the dying of a ‘proficient headteacher’ and ‘pricey good friend’. 

There have been discussions about closing the college to day pupils however it’s not attainable to shut the location fully as a consequence of worldwide pupils, in accordance with stories.  

In December – 4 months after changing into the college’s first feminine headteacher – Mrs Pattison informed a pupil podcast that she was ‘completely loving’ her time at Epsom. 

‘It has been very busy however completely great. The faculty have been so supportive and everybody has been very, very welcoming,’ she mentioned.

The one suggestion of any issues was the strain the transfer had placed on her household.  

‘When it comes to transition it has been a extremely massive change for my household,’ she mentioned.

‘So we have clearly moved home, we have a canine, I’ve acquired a brand new job, my husband’s acquired a brand new job, which wasn’t meant to occur however did, and my daughter has began at a brand new college.

‘So there’s been numerous change for us as a household, nevertheless it’s been great.’

Mrs Pattison additionally spoke about her lifestyle, saying she needed to ‘develop, study, discover and dwell life to the fullest’.

She then spoke about her hobbies, together with taking part in the piano and jogging, and the way she favored studying. ‘There’s something about being a lifelong learner,’ the instructor mentioned. 

‘And if you happen to’re a reader and a contemporary linguist who likes going and speaking to individuals and exploring completely different variations of life, I believe that matches in with somebody who all the time needs to develop, study, discover and, I suppose, dwell life to the fullest.’ 

Mrs Pattison’s first job after graduating from the College of Leeds with a BA Hons in French and English Literature was with the Thomas Prepare dinner graduate coaching programme. 

However reasonably than having the ability to journey the world as she anticipated, she discovered herself primarily based mostly in Bromley, south London, which was not ‘fairly the sparkly lights of the place I might imagined I might find yourself’.

Within the podcast, Mrs Pattison described how she acquired into instructing after flicking via a replica of the Instances Instructional Complement at a espresso store.

‘I assumed, why am I doing one thing I completely hate? That is far more enjoyable.’

Mrs Pattison mentioned she ‘hadn’t appeared again’ since going into instructing, including that ‘working with you individuals retains you younger, they hold you energised’. 

She took her first instructing job in 2002 at Lutterworth School in South Leicestershire, earlier than stints at personal Caterham College in Surrey and Guildford Excessive College the place she was Head of Overseas Languages. 

Round 2011 she married George, was a chartered accountant and director of a administration consultancy agency referred to as Tanglewood. 

A yr later she moved to St John’s College in Leatherhead, the place she rose to deputy head, earlier than changing into headteacher at Croydon Excessive College in south London three years later. 

Mrs Pattison informed the pupil podcast she ‘completely liked’ her time there, however selected to develop into headteacher at Epsom as a result of it was a college she had ‘lengthy admired’.  

One in every of her improvements there was to ask businesspeople from completely different sectors to advise pupils on the world of labor. 

Mrs Pattison’s former colleague paid tribute to her right now. 

Cheryl Giovannoni, chief govt of the Ladies’ Day College Belief (GDST), of which Croydon Excessive College is a component, mentioned: ‘We’re immensely shocked and saddened by the information concerning the dying of Emma Pattison, her daughter Lettie and her husband George.

‘Our ideas are with their household at the moment, in addition to everybody at Croydon Excessive College, and Epsom School, which Emma joined as head in September 2022.

‘Emma was a a lot liked and revered member of the GDST group, in addition to a proficient head and instructor and an expensive good friend to many people.

‘She touched the lives of all of us together with her vitality, knowledge and kindness throughout her six years as head of Croydon Excessive College and the college will all the time bear the legacy of her inspiring management.

‘We’re taking time to assist employees and college students at Croydon Excessive College in addition to everybody within the GDST household, and their wellbeing will likely be our precedence within the coming days.’

Native MP Chris Grayling referred to as the deaths ‘an appalling tragedy’, including: ‘I do know everybody domestically will likely be shocked about what has occurred.’  

A mom of a pupil at Croydon Excessive College informed BBC Information: ‘In her time as headteacher, she turned the college round, and she or he did so many issues that enriched the youngsters’s lives.

‘She was slight however very formidable, she knew all the pupils by identify. She was precisely what you’d need from a headteacher.’

Epsom School mentioned on Twitter that employees and pupils would pay their respects to their ‘great head’ Mrs Pattison on Monday.

The varsity mentioned: ‘The surprising and tragic information has now reached many concerning the dying of our head, Emma Pattison. The School group will likely be coming collectively right now to course of the information, grieve and pay our respects to a beautiful head.

‘We will likely be in shut contact with Surrey Police over the approaching weeks and months. We hope everybody will respect the privateness of Emma’s household at the moment and permit the School’s pupils, employees and wider group the time and house mandatory to return to phrases with this loss.’

Referred to as an elite rugby college, Epsom School teaches greater than 850 girls and boys aged 11 to 18. 

Epsom School was described as a ‘shining instance of all that’s greatest about impartial schooling’ on the Boarding Colleges’ Affiliation in October.

It gained two awards, scooping the ‘Pupil Wellbeing’ award in addition to the ‘Unbiased College of the Yr’ prize. 

Mrs Pattison described it as ‘an unimaginable honour’ and added: ‘We put deal with time, house and coronary heart and spirit to provide all of the younger individuals in our care every thing they should develop into one of the best model of themselves – within the classroom, on the sports activities area and in any area of curiosity that lights that spark inside them.

‘There may be a lot wonderful work to be celebrated within the trade in the intervening time, so it is a actual privilege to be named one of the best of one of the best. 

‘I’m extremely proud to be Head and we are going to show this award with actual pleasure.’

In an interview final month, Mrs Pattison defined how she hoped to alter the face of impartial faculties, saying ‘exclusivity is a grimy phrase’ in an interview printed a fortnight earlier than her dying.

She informed Unbiased College Administration Plus that non-public faculties needed to provide one thing completely different and be ‘a part of the answer to a number of the issues in society’.

‘If our pupils are going to guide on the earth, let’s make it possible for they actually perceive that world,’ she mentioned. 

‘They perceive the construction of it, the issues, the problems and why issues cannot simply be fastened so simply.

‘The picture of the unique personal college needs to be a factor of the previous. Exclusivity is a grimy phrase these days. The impartial faculties’ sector has to supply one thing very completely different going ahead, for its personal pupils and the affect it might carry.

‘It might be time to form a extremely thrilling future for the nation.’

Mrs Pattison needed to open the college to permit various teams to be part of specific courses and entry a variety of initiatives – reasonably than simply providing bursary schemes.  

Epsom School gave over 9,830 hours of group service within the final yr, estimated to be value greater than £141,000 in ‘social worth’.

Mrs Pattison grew up on a farm in Lincoln, the place she recalled feeding chickens at 6.30am as part of on a regular basis life. She attended the native women’ grammar college.    

After information of Mrs Pattison’s dying, Dr Alastair Wells, chairman of the Board of Governors at Epsom School, mentioned: ‘Emma was a beautiful instructor, however most of all she was a pleasant particular person. In time we are going to commemorate Emma and her household, within the acceptable means, and in keeping with the desires of her household. 

‘However for now, we ask that we’re all given the time, house and respect we have to come to phrases with this tragic loss.’

The varsity web site was up to date yesterday night and now lists Paul Williams as Appearing Headmaster. 

In a press release final night time, a police spokesman mentioned: ‘Within the early hours of Sunday morning, Surrey Police was contacted by the South East Coast Ambulance Service to attend a property within the grounds of Epsom School.

‘Officers attended at round 1.10am the place they, sadly, discovered the our bodies of three individuals, together with a baby.

‘We will affirm that the our bodies discovered have been Emma Pattison aged 45 years. Head of Epsom School, her daughter Lettie, aged seven years and her husband George aged 39 years.

‘The household’s next-of-kins have been knowledgeable and are being supported by specialist officers.

‘An investigation is being carried out to ascertain the circumstances of their deaths. At this stage, police are assured that that is an remoted incident with no third-party involvement.’

Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey mentioned: ‘On behalf of Surrey Police, my crew, and I, I first need to categorical my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Emma, Lettie and George, in addition to to the scholars and employees of Epsom School, for his or her tragic loss.

‘I need to give my assurance that we’ll conduct a radical investigation into what befell final night time and hope to have the ability to carry some peace in these traumatic circumstances. I might ask that their privateness is revered at this very tough time.’

Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell’s borough commander, mentioned: ‘We’re conscious that this tragic incident could have triggered concern and upset in the area people.

‘Whereas that is believed to be an remoted incident, within the coming days, our native officers will stay within the space to supply reassurance to college students, mother and father, lecturers, and the area people. 

‘I want to thank the college and the group for his or her understanding and persistence whereas the investigation continues.’