Support in School

Professionals in schools have a unique role in helping grieving families who have lost a child, as their children spend a significant amount of time in school. The death of a pupil can have a substantial impact on the whole school community. When supporting a bereaved pupil within a school community, parents and siblings may appreciate support to help them to deal with their loss.

As a teacher or member of staff within a school environment, it is inevitable that you will work with children affected by death in one way or another. Bereaved pupils you encounter will be at varying stages of their grief journey.

Bereavement in school comes in many forms:

• The death of a pupil
• The death of the parent/carer or sibling of a school pupil
• The death of a teacher of other member of the school staff
• A tragedy affecting a section of the school community (eg a minibus crash)

Young people may also be affected deeply by other deaths of people important to them – a live-in grandparent or a child-minder for example.

How a school might deal with the unexpected death (due to a long-standing illness) of a member of the school community would be different from the expected death of a member of the school community, but in each situation, you have genuine chance to positively affect a young life with some bereavement support.