STUDENTS and staff at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy are discussing ways to commemorate an 11-year-old pupil who died suddenly.

Kevin Burnett passed away at his home in the town having spent the past six years battling severe attacks caused by brittle asthma.

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Friends from the academy and St Barnabas Primary School, which he left earlier this year, were among the mourners at a packed St Barnabas Church who said goodbye to the boy described by his mum Laura Partington as a “cheeky chappy”.

The school already dedicates awards to founding governor Sue Johnson and head of maths Chris Wilford, who died in recent years.

Principal Brendan Loughran said: “No firm decisions have yet been made as the funeral was only on Thursday.

“But already I have had staff and students come up to me to talk about how we can keep Kevin’s memory alive around the school.

“These ideas have included the creation of a memorial garden where people can plant trees dedicated to individual people.

“We have also talked about creating a new award to be given at our annual awards evening.”

The Darwen Aldridge Community Academy pupil regularly suffered from severe asthma attacks and had been resuscitated in the past, but he had also suffered seizures in recent years, the cause of which was undiagnosed.

Kevin, whose middle name was Keegan, after the Manchester City manager at the time he was born, was one of six brothers.

His younger brothers, Lewis, five, Jake, six, and Ben, 10, are still at St Barnabas, while elder brothers John, 13, and Lucas, 14, are students at DACA.

A Go Fund Me page, set up by a family friend with the aim of raising £8,000 to support the family, had collected £2,228 as of yesterday afternoon. Donate at gofundme.com/ripkevin.