Teen hit by lorry wrote she'd 'rather harm herself' than return to boarding school

A 16-year-old schoolgirl who wrote in her journal that she would rather harm herself than return to boarding school died when she was struck by a lorry, an inquest heard.

Georgia Scarff, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, had suffered anxiety attacks and once wrote in her journal that she hated boarding at the Royal Hospital School, in Holbrook. Four years later, in the early hours of April 15, 2024, she was fatally injured while studying for her GCSEs at the £45,774 per year school, and working part-time at a hotel.

At the inquest earlier this week, her mum, Jennifer Scarff, described Georgia as being "wise beyond her years" and said she "gave off a very tough and resilient persona". She added: "[Georgia was] my best friend, my right-hand woman, my little helper and comforter."

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Georgia, a weekly boarder, had initially stayed at school three nights a week, but this rose to five from Year 10. By year 11, she was experiencing regular anxiety attacks and was seeing the school nurse three times a week for support, the hearing was told.

Her mum said boarding was necessary due to the family's long commute, but admitted Georgia struggled with it. She added that her daughter had a keen interest in geopolitics and current events, and that "she wanted to understand the world, what was going on around her, and where she fitted into it."

Giving evidence, Zoë King, the school's pastoral deputy head, said Georgia found boarding "very difficult" and struggled when she joined.

In January 2020, her mum found a journal entry in which Georgia wrote that she would rather harm herself than return to school. Ms King said the school had worked with Jennifer to support Georgia.

The deputy head said she was encouraged to hear the teenager was going up to boarding five nights a week in 2022, as she took this to mean she was having a more positive experience.

Georgia was a keen athlete and took part in a range of sports, including hockey, tchoukball, fitness training and rugby at the school. Ms King said: "[Miss Scarff's] presentation was one of a young person who was very much managing, coping with school life. It was a tremendous shock to hear of her passing."

She said some children are placed on a "watched list", which flagged any issues members of staff needed to be mindful of. Ms King explained that Georgia would have remained on this list, as she had been bereaved.

The day before her death, on Sunday, April 14, 2024, Georgia packed her belongings and dropped them at the school with her older sister. The pair had returned home, had dinner with their mum and spent the evening watching TV.

Mrs Scarff last saw her daughter at around 10pm. She was woken up at around 1.20am to a phone call from Georgia, at which point she called 999. At 2am, she learned that Miss Scarff had died.

The inquest continues.

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