Ann Maguire had been a teacher at the school for 40 years
The student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to murder when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court.
Spanish teacher Mrs Maguire, 61, was attacked at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds in April. She had worked at the school for more than 40 years and had been due to retire.
Her teenage killer, who stabbed her repeatedly in front of a classroom of students, will be sentenced later.
The defendant stood flanked by two prison officers in the dock as the court clerk read out the charge.
He looked straight ahead and showed no emotion as he admitted murdering Mrs Maguire.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney QC told the court pupils had noticed disturbing aspects to the boy's personality.
He told other children that he hated Mrs Maguire and wanted her dead, writing in a message on Facebook that she "deserves more than death, more than pain and more than anything that we can understand".
The prosecutor said: "Late on the night of Christmas Eve 2013, and into the early hours of Christmas Day, the defendant exchanged messages with a friend on Facebook.
"In those messages he spoke of 'brutally killing' Mrs Maguire and spending the rest of his life in jail so as not to have to worry about life or money."
The court heard that Mrs Maguire had been leaning over her desk helping a girl with her work when the boy attacked her from behind.
"The defendant approached his teacher and began to stab her in the neck and back," said Mr Greaney.
"Ann Maguire was 61 years of age, 5ft 2in height and of slim build.
"The defendant was a full foot taller and was armed with a large kitchen knife.
"To describe his attack as cowardly hardly does it justice."
The prosecutor said Mrs Maguire fled but was chased by the boy "stabbing her as she sought to escape".
Mr Greaney said the boy had earlier told pupils he wanted to attack other teachers, including a pregnant woman "so as to kill her unborn child".
But the prosecutor said the boy's actions were still "inexplicable".
"The parents are decent people and responsible parents," he said. "They are at a loss to understand how and why their son has turned out as he has and they have co-operated fully with the police and with the prosecution.
"It follows that this is not one of those cases in which a defendant's actions may find a degree of explanation in his family circumstances.
Mr Greaney added that the boy's academic reports "had generally been positive".
Sitting at the back of the dock, the teenager's parents listened intently to the details of their son's crime.
Because of his young age, the judge and barristers did not wear their wigs and gowns during the hearing.
BBC News
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