Jeremiah's Journey

• 1: Home
• 2: About Us
  • 2.1: Who we are
  • 2.2: Aims
  • 2.3: What we do
  • 2.4: Where & When
  • 2.5: Getting in touch
  • 2.6: Funding and Donations
  • 2.7: The Team
• 3: Fundraising
  • 3.1: Calendar of Events
  • 3.2: Successful events
  • 3.3: How can I help?
    • 3.3.1: Buy our Merchandise
    • 3.3.2: Give a Gift
    • 3.3.3: Go Online
    • 3.3.5: Recycle
    • 3.3.6: Take up a challenge
      • 3.3.6.4: Sponsor Form
    • 3.3.7: Volunteer
  • 3.4: Support our Charity Shops
• 4: Information...
  • 4.1: For Professionals
    • 4.1.1: What schools can do after a pupil dies
    • 4.1.2: Supporting a bereaved child in school
    • 4.1.3: Training events and opportunities
    • 4.1.4: What has worked for your school
    • 4.1.5: Resources
  • 4.2: For Kids
    • 4.2.1: When someone special dies
    • 4.2.2: Things that can help
    • 4.2.3: Remembering at special times
    • 4.2.4: Your poems & stories
    • 4.2.5: Our experiences of the group
    • 4.2.6: Books, films etc.
  • 4.3: For Teenagers
    • 4.3.1: When someone special dies
    • 4.3.2: Ways of coping
    • 4.3.3: Our experiences of the group
    • 4.3.4: Your poems & stories
    • 4.3.6: Resources
  • 4.4: For Parents and Carers
    • 4.4.1: Talking to Children
    • 4.4.2: Attending the Funeral
    • 4.4.3: Supporting Children
    • 4.4.4: Supporting Yourself
    • 4.4.6: Support Group
• 5: For Our Families
  • 5.1: Events for JJ families
  • 5.2: Newsletter
• 5: Contact Us
• 5: Friends
  • 5.1: Our supporters
    • 5.1.1: Corporate
    • 5.1.2: Community
• 5: Photos
• 5: Donate!

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What schools can do after a pupil dies

Many schools will have in place a policy about what they will do if a pupil, teacher or other significant member of the school community dies. Here are some ideas and suggestions that might be helpful.

See the ‘What has worked for your school’ page for other schools’ experiences.

Breaking the News

When the school experiences the death of a pupil or a member of staff it may be helpful to use a gathering like an assembly to make sure everyone is aware and is given accurate information.

In the assembly setting it may be important to let pupils know that this is an important and serious assembly. There may be different arrangements after the assembly has finished which the pupils will need to be informed of i.e. there may be time allowed for pupils to meet in their tutor groups or forms to reflect and discuss.

In some cases there may already have been reports in the local media about the death or friends of the pupil who have disseminated their version of events. The assembly can be used as a time to acknowledge that there are reports going around but that this assembly hopefully will clarify the situation and give a factual account which may not be complete but is as much as is known. The assembly can also be a time to let the school know that there will be a way for everyone to remember the person either funeral arrangements or something done within the school.

It might be appropriate to send a letter to parents so that they have the same information and know what the school’s plan is.

For close friends of the pupil who has died it may be more useful for them to be told as a small separate group where there is more time and it can feel more comfortable to share and express feelings. The group may have ideas for a fitting memorial.

For adolescents it may be the case that they have already established a supportive network of friends.

Remembering

Schools can do special things to remember the person:

• Have a special book where individuals can record a memory of the person, a copy can be given to the family. 
• Create a memorial within school which embodies the person in some way for example a bench in a favourite spot, a stained glass window to mark their artistic talent, a joint piece of art work, a concert to remember their musical or theatrical abilities or a trophy presented in their name for their love of sport. 
• Acknowledge that maybe some people may have not got on with the person all of the time.

Staff

It can be helpful for pupils to be supported by those who are known to them already i.e. their teachers and in a way that is led by them rather than being sent to a stranger.

Staff need to be supported too and need to be made aware of what is available to them.