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Killed in the blaze with her family, Nur Huda El-Wahabi will always remain a role model for her classmates and teachers in the Holland Park School. The 15-year-old student, who used to live in the 21st floor of the Grenfell Tower died alongside her father Abdul Aziz (52), mother Fouzia (42), brotherMehdi (8) and Yasin (21).
Despite the tragedy, Nur Huda’s teachers will always keep memory of the hardworking young girl. In an article published by the Evening Standard, Richard Northover, deputy head of Holland Park School could not get over the incident that took the life of one of his favorite students. «The news broke on the radio as I was driving in. As soon as I arrived at school I searched the database to find out if any students lived there», Northover recalled.
Scared for Nur Huda who he taught English for three years, Northover called her father on the phone in vain. «Unfortunately the phone wasn’t answered. I continued to call for most of the morning and it stopped ringing. As the days went on we accepted we were unlikely to see her again», he explained after realizing that the Wahabi family followed the wrong advice staying in their apartment, wetting the floor and waiting for help.
Nur Huda a charachter in Philip Pullman's next fictitious novel
Speaking about the Moroccan enthousistic student, Richard Northover told the same source that she had «a promising future ahead of her». Nur Huda will be remembered forever, as her primary school teacher, James Clements launched a bid to name one of Philip Pullman’s, an English writer and the author of several best-selling books, characters after her. Indeed, the bid was accepted and the author’s new novel will include a character called Nur Huda. «I thought a character in The Book of Dust would be a nice way of remembering someone I taught and was fond of», Clement said speaking to the same source.
«She didn’t shy away from the limelight. She sat at the back of my room, in the middle; she was a focal point. She liked to joke but worked hard as well. In that sense she was a positive role model. I saw her mature into an impressive young lady», Northover declared thinking of Nur Huda’s behavior inside the classroom. Known for being a brilliant disciple, she was light-hearted and playful.
According to Richard Northover, the Moroccan family cared too much for the education of their only daughter. He noticed that during the last parent’s evening organized by the school and which was attended by Nur’s father. «I gave a glowing report of her work. She was watching her father closely. As a smile crept across his face she started to smile too. She looked proud», Northover stated adding that Abdul Aziz was «proud of his daughter and told her to keep working hard. They were similar, she inherited her cheekiness from him. They were both outgoing and liked to joke».
As sad as it sound, Nur Huda was supposed to «sat her last two GCSEs this week and was expected to do well. She was planning to study English and PE at A-level». In a heart breaking statement her teachers stressed on the fact that all those who could not make their way out of the building the night of the incident are to be remembered and Nura Huda is one of them.
