A HEAD teacher has commended outside agencies for their ongoing support following the death of two pupils in just two months.

14-year-old Windermere School students Pierre Dacosta Noble and Fionnuala Ryan, died in November and December of last year.

And now the private school’s head teacher Ian Lavender spoke out about the tragedies for the first time.

Mr Lavender assured parents and staff about the importance of pupil safeguarding.

He said: “Two students who attended Windermere School died tragically last year.

“Pierre DaCosta Noble died in school and Fionnuala Ryan died during the Christmas holidays at home.

“We take the safeguarding of all the students at our school very seriously.”

Mr Lavender spoke out after inquests into both deaths were launched by the Cumbria coroner.

An inquest into the death of Fionnuala Ryan was adjourned to give key witnesses more time to assess the documents of evidence submitted to the court.

Earlier this week, an inquest into the death of Pierre DaCosta Noble, who resided as a boarder at Windermere School, found he had taken his own life days after classmates smeared faeces into his pillow.

Coroner Andrew Tweddle ruled the French-born 14-year-old intended his actions and would have been ‘deeply upset’ by the incident.

Mr Tweddle was also told excrement was smeared inside one of Pierre’s boots and said it impacted on the decision he made on November 9 last year.

The teenager was described as a model pupil at Windermere School after he joined as a boarder in Spring 2019. But he told his friends he was not enjoying his time at the school, Cockermouth Coroner’s Court was told.

Statements from Pierre’s friends suggested he was a happy boy and was very popular.

Jennifer Davies, head of safeguarding at Windermere School, was asked by the coroner if she felt a multi-agency report created to review the events running up to the death was correct to find the excrement incident had no impact on Pierre’s decision to take his own life.

She said: “Given the passing of time, I don’t believe the conclusion of the report was correct.”

The coroner said: “It is clear what his intentions were. It is my conclusion that Pierre did deliberately intend to take his own life.”

Following the inquest, Mr Lavender added: “We have worked closely with outside agencies to support those who knew the pupils who died.

“The agencies have been exemplary and I would like to thank them for their services at this time.”