The School’s Role in a Student’s Grief Journey

In this episode, hosts Odette Mould and Sophia Giblin talk about how schools can impact a child’s grief journey.

All schools should have a bereavement policy, Odette and Sophia recommend, that covers all the information the school should know, what they need to do, and how to respond to an incident within their school community. Office staff should be briefed on how to respond to a parent or guardian informing the school about the death of a student’s family member.

You don’t have to be a member of staff to put things in motion - if you believe there’s something you can do, you can call your local school and make suggestions - you can even connect with organisations like Harry’s Rainbow. What’s important is nurturing an environment of empathy, so that students can be met with kindness and understanding when they’re bereaved. 

Communication is necessary when supporting a bereaved student. Parents and teachers can’t contact each other all the time, but even having just one key staff member they can talk to, goes a long way.

Key Takeaways:

• Office staff should be briefed on how to respond to a parent or guardian informing the school about the death of a student’s family member.
• It’s important to nurture an environment and culture of empathy at school.
• There should be at least one key staff member parents and students can confer with.

Resources

• Harry’s Rainbow
• Odette Mould on LinkedIn 
• Sophia Giblin on LinkedIn 
• Donate to Harry's Rainbow