Sara Sharif Remembered for Cheerful School Days and X Factor Dreams

According to her head teacher, Sara Sharif endured a “daily living hell” at home due to her father and stepmother, yet she was a nurturing, joyful “chatterbox” at school, with a passion for singing and dancing. Jacquie Chambers informed the BBC that Sara was a beloved student at St Mary’s Primary School, known for her willingness to “sing to anyone who would listen” and her ambition to appear on The X Factor. Sara attended the school, located in West Byfleet, Surrey, until a few weeks prior to her discovery deceased in her bunkbed at home last year, having been murdered by her father and stepmother. Ms Chambers stated that despite the suffering Sara endured, she remained a “cheerful little soul” in the classroom and consistently assisted younger students in the playground. Ms Chambers recounted, “She would write songs all of the time and she would sing to anyone who would listen.” “She came into my office, and I remember saying to her, ‘Sara, what do you want to do when you grow up?’. She said, ‘I want to be on X Factor. I want to win it’. And she stood by that,” Ms Chambers added. Ms Chambers mentioned that, following Sara’s death, her classmates established a buddy bench and a specific award in her memory. The Sara Singing Award was instituted by the school to identify the “singing stars” of St Mary’s. Ms Chambers explained, “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.” A memorial ceremony was also conducted by the school after her death. During the poignant event, a white feather descended from the sky, which Ms Chambers interpreted as a symbol of Sara watching over them. Ms Chambers noted, “Part of the service was children sharing memories, and the theme that ran through all of their memories was her singing.” She further stated, “Her favourite songs was Memories by Maroon 5 and Count on Me by Bruno Mars.” Both of these songs were performed during the service. Sara’s closest friends additionally created a memory box, kept in Ms Chambers’ office, which holds photos, messages, and the white feather. During the service, every member of her class decorated a section of a bench, which is now incorporated into the school’s ‘bench buddy’ scheme. Ms Chambers remarked, “She was often called a mother hen.” She elaborated, “She would love to look after all the little children on the playground, and that’s why they thought of the buddy bench.” Sara was a student at St Mary’s from year two through year five, until she was removed for home schooling in April 2023. In March 2023, teachers at the school observed bruising on Sara’s face and reported it to Surrey County Council Children’s Services. The subsequent investigation by Children’s Services into the bruises lasted six days, during which the school was instructed to monitor Sara. This monitoring ceased when Sara was withdrawn from school the following month. Ms Chambers was unable to comment on this matter during her interview, citing an ongoing official review concerning the involvement of social services, the police, the NHS, and education services in Sara’s life. Sara’s body was discovered in her bunkbed at her family home on August 10. Her father, Urfan Sharif, aged 43, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, aged 30, were convicted of murder. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, aged 29, received a conviction at the Old Bailey for causing or allowing the death of a child. The head teacher further stated that Sara would be remembered as an “absolute chatterbox” who was “full of energy and life.” Ms Chambers commented, “We’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.” She described learning of Sara’s death as “the saddest time of my life.” She added, “The shock was just immense. Personally, talking as a head teacher, I don’t think you’re ever ready for something like that.” Ms Chambers concluded, “Sara 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.”