Bereavement

Bereaved children need to receive support from their family, from their school and from important people around them. We will signpost them to specialist support if needed.

We will help bereaved children to find appropriate ways to express all their feelings and thoughts associated with grief, such as sadness, anxiety, confusion, anger and guilt.

We understand that bereaved children have the right to remember the person who has died for the rest of their lives. We will support them to share special and difficult memories.

All children, particularly bereaved children, are entitled to receive answers to their questions. They also need information that clearly explains what has happened, why it has happened and what will be happening. We will strive to enable children to have their questions answered, through the PSHE curriculum, on an individual basis, working with parents and carers or through support services.

Bereaved children need understanding and support from their teachers and fellow students without having to ask for it. We will provide training to ensure this happens.

We will work with families to encourage them to involve bereaved children in important decisions that have an impact on their lives such as planning the funeral and remembering anniversaries.

We will support the bereaved child’s right to enjoy their lives even though someone important has died.

We will try where possible to enable bereaved children to benefit from the opportunity to meet other children who have had similar experiences.

We will endeavour, whenever possible, to enable bereaved children to continue activities and interests so that parts of their lives can still feel ‘normal’.

We will help bereaved children to understand that they are not responsible, and not to blame, for the death.

We will encourage bereaved children to tell an accurate and coherent story of what has happened. We know this is helpful to them particularly if these stories are heard by those important people in their lives.