We believe this policy should be a working document that is fit for purpose, represents the school ethos, enables consistency and quality across the school and is related to the following legislation:

• Employment Rights Act 1996

• Education Act 2002

• Employment Act 2002

• Employment Act 2008

• Equality Act 2010

The following documentation is also related to this policy:

• ‘Help When We Needed It Most’ – (www.samaritans.org)

• Equality Act 2010: Advice for Schools (DfE)

• Race Disparity Audit - Summary Findings from the Ethnicity Facts and Figures Website (Cabinet Office)

We have a duty to have in place clear pastoral care support strategies for pupils and school personnel who mourn the death of a family member or the loss of a member of the school community. 

We acknowledge that the trauma of any such events can over a period of time affect attitude, performance and the ability to cope with life in general. We have a duty to mobilise the support of the whole school community in order to work together, to support each other and to honour the memory of the person that has passed away.

We are committed to providing an ethos, a learning environment and a curriculum that supports and prepares pupils for coping with bereavement. We believe that through PSHE pupils can improve the skills of pupils by acknowledging and addressing loss, death, bereavement and grief.

We believe pupils and school personnel alike have the right to encounter a caring environment in which they feel safe to demonstrate grief without fear of any form of judgement.

We work hard to maintain a caring environment in which pupils and school personnel alike feel safe to demonstrate grief without fear of any form of judgement. We take into account and give equal value to differing religions and cultures as they view death and bereavement from different perspectives and viewpoints.

We acknowledge that we have to deal with all forms of bereavement including that of suicide of a pupil, parent or a member of the school personnel. We believe we have ‘an important role in reducing the likelihood of copy cat bevaviour and helping recovery by preparing and responding to the situation properly’ by having in place procedures that help to prepare for and respond to ‘suicide appropriately and constructively, in order to help rebuild the wellbeing of the school community and reduce the risk of further deaths’.

We will ensure that appropriate school personnel undertake training in bereavement counselling and will be available for both pupils and school personnel. 

We wish to work closely with the School Council and to hear their views and opinions as we acknowledge and support Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that children should be encouraged to form and to express their views.

We as a school community have a commitment to promote equality. Therefore, an equality impact assessment has been undertaken and we believe this policy is in line with the Equality Act 2010.

We all have a responsibility to ensure equality permeates in to all aspects of school life and that everyone is treated equally irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We want everyone connected with this school to feel safe, secure, valued and of equal worth.

We acknowledge the findings of the Race Disparity Audit that clearly shows how people of different ethnicities are treated across the public services of health, education, employment and the criminal justice system. 

The educational section of the audit that covers: differences by region; attainment and economic disadvantage; exclusions and abuse; and destinations, has a significant importance for the strategic planning of this school.

We believe it is essential that this policy clearly identifies and outlines the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the procedures and arrangements that is connected with this policy.

Aims

• To provide pastoral care support strategies for both pupils and school personnel who mourn the death of a family member or the loss of a member of the school community. 

• To provide an ethos, a learning environment and a curriculum that supports and prepares pupils for coping with bereavement.

• To provide school-based bereavement counselling.

• To work with other schools and the local authority to share good practice in order to improve this policy.

Procedure

Role of the Governing Body

The Governing Body has:

• delegated powers and responsibilities to the Headteacher to ensure all school personnel and stakeholders are aware of and comply with this policy;

• appointed a member of staff responsible for pastoral care;

• appointed members of staff as accredited school-based counsellors;

• responsibility for ensuring:

• full compliance with all statutory responsibilities;

  • the school complies with all equalities legislation;

  • funding is in place to support this policy;

  • this policy and all policies are maintained and updated regularly;

  • all policies are made available to parents;

• The nomination of a designated Equalities governor to ensure that appropriate action will be taken to deal with all prejudice related incidents or incidents which are a breach of this policy; 

• determining this policy with the Governing Body;

• discussing improvements to this policy during the school year;

• organising surveys to gauge the thoughts of all pupils;

• reviewing the effectiveness of this policy with the Governing Body

• the nomination of a link governor to:

  • visit the school regularly; 

  • work closely with the Headteacher and the coordinator;

  • ensure this policy and other linked policies are up to date;

  • ensure that everyone connected with the school is aware of this policy;

  • attend training related to this policy;

  • report to the Governing Body every term; 

  • annually report to the Governing Body on the success and development of this policy

  • the effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this policy

Role of the Headteacher 

The Headteacher will:

• work in conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure all school personnel, pupils and parents are aware of and comply with this policy;

• ensure risk assessments are:

• in place and cover all aspects of this policy;

• accurate and suitable;

• reviewed annually;

• easily available for all school personnel

• organise and have in place a Bereavement Support Team to deal with the death of any  member of the school community;

• offer the school’s condolences;

• coordinate all information from the family taking into account their wishes;

• inform the Bereavement Support Team and remind them of their role;

• inform all school personnel and the support provided;

• inform all pupils and the support provided ;

• inform parents of the death, any other details such as  funeral arrangements and possible school closure;

• when dealing with the death of a member of the school community:

  • offer the school’s condolences;

  • be sympathetic and supportive to the needs, feelings and emotions of the family and everyone in the school community;

  • coordinate all information from the family taking into account their wishes;

  • inform the Bereavement Support Team and remind them of their role;

  • inform all school personnel and the support provided;

  • inform all pupils and the support provided;

  • inform parents of the death, any other details such as  funeral arrangements and possible school closure

• when dealing with the death of a member of the school community due to suicide will refer to ‘Help When We Needed It Most’ and have in place a ‘Crisis Plan’ in order to prepare for and respond to ‘suicide appropriately and constructively, in order to help rebuild the wellbeing of the school community and reduce the risk of further deaths’;

• when supporting a pupil suffering the loss of a family member:

• offer the school’s condolences;

• coordinate all information from the family taking into account their wishes;

• offer support from the Family Liaison Officer;

• work with the family to assess any change in behaviour of the pupil during this traumatic time

• when dealing with a member of school personnel suffering a bereavement:

• contact the bereaved member of school personnel and offer the school’s condolences and support from the Bereavement Support Team;

• coordinate all information from the family taking into account their wishes;

• provide information on their bereavement leave entitlement

• provide leadership and vision in respect of equality;

• make effective use of relevant research and information to improve this policy;

• provide guidance, support and training to all staff;

• monitor the effectiveness of this policy by speaking with pupils, school personnel, parents and governors;

• annually report to the Governing Body on the success and development of this policy

Role of the Bereavement Support Team 

The Bereavement Support Team: consist of the Headteacher, ALNCo and the nominated governor;

• will support a child by:

  • providing time to listen to the child and letting the child talk;

  • forming a trusting, caring and supporting relationship; 

  • being sensitive when the child is preoccupied, silent or tearful;

  • providing practical support;

  • asking them what support they need;

  • providing a place of privacy where they can express their emotions on their own;

  • making them feel valued and normal;

  • being sensitive the child's beliefs.

  • be available to pupils and school personnel;

  • lead the development of this policy throughout the school;

  • work closely with the Headteacher and the nominated governor;

  • keep up to date with new developments and resources;

  • review and monitor;

  • annually report to the Governing Body on the success and development of this policy.

Role of the Pastoral Care Coordinator

The coordinator will:

• create and establish a pastoral care programme to assist the needs of all pupils;

• lead the development of this policy throughout the school;

• work closely with the Headteacher and the nominated governor;

• ensure the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy protects all pupils from physical, intellectual, moral, emotional harm;

• line manage a group of special trained school-based counsellors;

• ensure the counsellors receive regular continuing professional accredited training;

• assist in establishing and maintaining good communication between school, parents/carers and external agencies;

• make effective use of relevant research and information to improve this policy;

• provide guidance and support to all staff;

• provide training for all staff on induction and when the need arises regarding;

• keep up to date with new developments and resources;

• undertake risk assessments when required;

• review and monitor;

• annually report to the Governing Body on the success and development of this policy.

Role of School-Based Counsellors

School-Based Counsellors will:

• be trained and qualified in counselling;

• be trained to listen without passing judgement;

• be trained to help children to sort out their thoughts and feelings;

• provide emotional support allowing children to concentrate more in class, to feel better about themselves and to build their self-confidence;

• use a variety of creative methods to help children express their concerns;

• provide enough time for a child for to explore issues in a meaningful way;

• undertake counselling sessions in a private room;

• regularly review the situation with the child and come to a joint decision when the sessions should end;

• ensure that all matters discussed during counselling sessions are completely confidential;

• only break confidentiality if there is a child protection disclosure and then will:

• inform the child that the information has to be shared with others;

• inform and seek advice from the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Role of School Personnel

School personnel will:

• comply with all aspects of this policy;

• listen to and monitor the behaviour and progress of bereaved pupils;

• listen to and monitor the behaviour of their colleagues;

• use a variety approaches in PSHE to meet the needs of pupils.

• implement the school’s equalities policy and schemes;

• report and deal with all incidents of discrimination;

• attend appropriate training sessions;

• report any concerns they have on any aspect of the school community.

Role of Pupils

Pupils will be aware of the support strategies in place.

Role of Parents/Carers

Parents/carers will be aware of and comply with this policy.

Raising Awareness of this Policy

We will raise awareness of this policy via:

• School Handbook/Prospectus;

• School website;

• Staff Handbook;

• Meetings with parents such as introductory, transition, parent-teacher consultations and periodic curriculum workshops;

• School events;

• Meetings with school personnel;

• Written communications with home such as weekly newsletters and of end of half term newsletters;

• Annual report to parents;

• Headteacher reports to the Governing Body;

• Information displays in the main school entrance;

• Text messages

• Email

• Social media:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Virtual pin boards

• School blog

Training

The Headteacher will organise appropriate training for the Bereavement Support Team by an accredited counsellor.

All school personnel:

• have equal chances of training, career development and promotion

• receive training on induction which specifically covers:

• All aspects of this policy

• Pastoral Care

• Safeguarding and Child Protection

• School Based Counselling

• Dealing with Sensitive Incidents

• Equal opportunities

• Inclusion

• receive periodic training so that they are kept up to date with new information

• receive equal opportunities training on induction in order to improve their understanding of the Equality Act 2010 and its implications

Equality Impact Assessment

Under the Equality Act 2010 we have a duty not to discriminate against people on the basis of their age, disability, gender, gender identity, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

This policy has been equality impact assessed and we believe that it is in line with the Equality Act 2010 as it is fair, it does not prioritise or disadvantage any pupil and it helps to promote equality at this school.

This policy will be reviewed and updated when required.