Sara Sharif's body was found at her home in Woking on 10 August last year
Christian Fuller
BBC News, South East
Sara Sharif experienced "daily living hell" at home at the hands of her father and stepmother, but at school she was a caring, cheerful "chatterbox", who loved singing and dancing, her head teacher said.
Jacquie Chambers told the BBC that Sara was a much-loved pupil at St Mary's Primary School who would "sing to anyone who would listen" and had dreams of appearing on The X Factor.
Sara attended the school in West Byfleet, Surrey, until weeks before she was found dead in her bunkbed at home last year after being murdered by her father and stepmother.
Despite the torment she suffered, Ms Chambers said she was a âcheerful little soulâ in the classroom and she would always be helping younger pupils in the playground.
âShe would write songs all of the time and she would sing to anyone who would listen,â she said.
âShe came into my office, and I remember saying to her, âSara, what do you want to do when you grow up?â. She said, âI want to be on X Factor. I want to win itâ. And she stood by that.â
Image caption,Sara attended St Mary's Primary School in Byfleet from year two until until April in year five
Ms Chambers said Sara's classmates had created a buddy bench and a special award in her honour since her death.
The school's Sara Singing Award was set up to find the "singing stars" of St Mary's.
"We've got a lovely music trophy to award that person at the end of the year, and that will be something we'll do every year to remember her,â she said.
The school also held a memorial ceremony following her death.
During the emotional event, a white feather fell from the sky, which Ms Chambers took as a sign that Sara was looking down on them.
âPart of the service was children sharing memories, and the theme that ran through all of their memories was her singing,â Ms Chambers said.
âHer favourite songs was Memories by Maroon 5 and Count on Me by Bruno Mars.â
Both songs were sung at the service.
Image caption,Saraâs classmates created the Sara Singing Award in her honour
Saraâs closest friends also created a memory box in Ms Chambers' office, containing photos, messages and the white feather.
At the service, each member of her class also decorated part of a bench, which is now used as part of the schoolâs âbench buddyâ scheme.
âShe was often called a mother hen," Ms Chambers said.
"She would love to look after all the little children on the playground, and that's why they thought of the buddy bench."
Image source, Surrey Police Image caption,Sara Sharif's body was found at her home in Woking on 10 August last year
Sara attended St Mary's from year two until year five, when she was withdrawn to be home schooled in April 2023.
In March 2023 teachers at the school noticed bruising on Sara's face, and told Surrey County Council Children's Services.
The Children's Services investigation into the bruises took six days and the school was asked to monitor Sara.
This ended when Sara was taken out of school the next month.
Ms Chambers could not comment on this in her interview because of an official review into the involvement of social services, the police, the NHS and the education services in Sara's life.
Sara was found dead in her bunkbed at her family home on August 10.
Her father Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of murder.
Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child at the Old Bailey.
Image source, Surrey Police Image caption,Sara's father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool were convicted over her death
The head teacher added that Sara would be remembered as an âabsolute chatterboxâ who was âfull of energy and lifeâ.
âWe're quite a big school, but every adult knew Sara. I think that's why we're impacted by her death, because everyone knew her,â Ms Chambers said.
She said hearing the news of Saraâs death was âthe saddest time of my lifeâ.
âThe shock was just immense. Personally, talking as a head teacher, I don't think you're ever ready for something like that,â she added.
âSara had the cutest, biggest smile with her little cheeks. We don't have a photo in school where she hasn't got a smile on her face.â
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