A HEADTEACHER has told how his school is reeling in shock after losing three members of its tight-knit community in as many weeks.

The EADT has reported how King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds had suffered the loss of 28-year-old teacher Katie Colson and former student Emma Holloway, 19, in tragic accidents over the past week.

Miss Holloway, of Badwell Ash, near Bury, died in a crash on the A134 between the villages of Cockfield and Bradfield Combust at 10pm on Wednesday.

Miss Colson died the previous Friday when she was hit by a car while out jogging near her home in Cambridgeshire.

It has now emerged the school has recently lost a third member of its community – a 15-year-old pupil.

Year 10 student Tom Travers-Ashman died of cancer at home on October 20. He was last night described as a “lively and endlessly optimistic” teenager. His family is understood to be too upset to speak about his loss at the current time.

An announcement placed by the family said Tom had endured an “extremely brave battle” with cancer and said he would be greatly missed.

His school has told how the teenager was an important part of their community. It is understood representatives from the Bury school attended a celebration of his life earlier this week. Headteacher Geoff Barton said: “In a week when the school is trying to come to terms with the death of teacher Katie Colson, we are in mourning for two students.

“Tom had died after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Tom came to us from St James’ Middle School and, although in the past year he was only able to attend a handful of school days here, he very much felt part of our community.

“In fact, Tom made a special journey to the school in July to attend the end-of-year achievement assembly.

“His fellow students gave him a spontaneous round of applause in recognition of his exceptional courage.

“Tom was lively, funny, musical and endlessly optimistic, even when undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He was an inspiration to us.”

The school said it had very much appreciated the support of CLIC Sergeant and the East Anglian Children’s Hospices.

laurence.cawley@eadt.co.uk