The devastated family of Ann Maguire, the teacher brutally stabbed to death in her classroom, have described her as their "shining light".
They released the heartbreaking tribute as a 15-year-old boy was due appear in court charged with her murder.
The Spanish teacher, 61, a mother of two daughters, was months away from retiring after working at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds for more than 40 years when she was stabbed in front of pupils on Monday morning.
In a statement released through West Yorkshire Police, her family said: "Our beautiful Ann, our shining light, she
brightened the world for so many of us.
"A loving wife, the best mother, a treasured sister, a true friend. This horrific happening has robbed us of all of this and so much more. We are devastated. Her selfless, genuine, caring nature will remain with us eternally.
"We are overwhelmed by the support, sympathy and kind tributes we have received, they have been a source of great comfort at this dark time.
"We would ask the media to kindly respect the privacy of family and friends in the coming weeks and months.
"Ann we will love you always, your loving family."
Floral tributes have been left outside the school where Ann Maguire was killed
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced last night that the teenager had been charged with Mrs Maguire's murder after he was arrested and interviewed under caution by police on Monday.
The boy will first appear at Leeds Youth Court today and at Leeds Crown Court for a bail hearing tomorrow, the CPS said.
Mrs Maguire's death is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom, and the first killing of a teacher in a school since the 1996 Dunblane massacre.
