When a school experiences the death of a pupil or a member of staff it may be helpful to use a gathering such as an assembly or tutor group time to make everyone aware of what has happened. 

In some cases there may already have been reports in the local media about the death. Friends of the pupil may have shared 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 contain as much factual information as is known.  It may feel more appropriate to talk to the tutor group most affected, separately. It can also be a time to let everyone know if there are any arrangements to remember the person within the school such as a memory book to write in. 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 to reflect and discuss.

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 and what support is being offered.

For close friends of the pupil who has died it may be more useful for them to be told as a small separate group.  Here there is more time and it can feel more comfortable to share and express feelings. The group may have their own ideas for a fitting memorial. It can be helpful to acknowledge that maybe not everyone may have got on with the person who has died and so they may feel differently about what has happened.

For adolescents it may be the case that they have already established a supportive network of friends.  Often children and young people welcome the opportunity to choose which adults they would feel comfortable talking to.  For some this may be their class teacher, meal time assistant or support worker.

For those pupils who have already experienced bereavement, this recent event may open up past grief.