Students at the Holt School in Wokingham will light candles and lay flowers in memory of teacher James Furlong (pictured), named as one of three victims in the Reading terror attack.

Former pupil Molly Collins, who left the Berkshire school in 2017, told the Radio 4 Today programme: “He was such a loved teacher. I can’t find anyone that ever had a bad word to say about him, and to hear that it was him is just so, so sad.

“He was so passionate and enthusiastic about history and about learning, and anything that was boring, anything you didn’t find interesting, he would make it interesting.

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“He would spend time with you. He got to know people individually, and he just always went the extra mile for everyone.”

Reading terror attack victim ‘always went the extra mile for everyone’

Mr Furlong, a history teacher, was one of three people who died in Saturday’s attack, which police are treating as a terror incident.

He was in Reading’s Forbury Gardens, a park near the centre of town, when witnesses say a lone attacker with a knife targeted a group of people at about 7pm.

A 25-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody.

A two-minute silence has also been held at the school. More than 100 students, some holding hands, gathered at the school’s gates as a bell rang out to mark the start of the silence, while the school flag in the school’s courtyard was lowered to half-mast.

Following the silence, co-headteachers Anne Kennedy and Katie Pearce read out a statement, which said: “James was a very kind and gentle man. He had a real sense of duty and cared for each and every one of our students.

“He truly inspired everyone he taught through his passion for his subject and his dedication.”

Ms Pearce said counsellors would be available for students, adding: “Words cannot describe our shock and sadness at this time. He was a cherished colleague and he will be very sadly missed.”

The students clapped at the end of the statement, while many laid flowers at the school gates.