Many teachers struggle to find the right words...
When the very worst happens to one of their pupils
That's not because they don't care, or aren't interested - it's usually because they are worried about making the situation worse.
The fact is, the worst has already happened.
But when teaching staff don't know what to say for the best, they may shy away from talking about what has happened - inadvertently causing the pupil to feel further isolation and distress.
Everyone who has lost a loved one will deal with grief in their own unique way
Children experiencing grief and loss may act differently to how they normally would.
They may become hyper-vigilant or on high-alert, or they may appear dazed and shut down.
They might find it impossible to focus and concentrate on school work. They might disrupt the learning of others.
Everyone will know that the child's behaviour is signalling that they need support - but will your staff know what to say and do? And will they know what's best to avoid?
Everyone wants to do their best to support the child. Nobody wants to get it wrong.
But how will they know which behaviours are ‘normal'... or what's the 'right thing' to do?
Here's the solution:
Train ALL your staff about what children of different ages and stages understand about death. To know what to say and do when offering support.
Right now, that may sound difficult (and expensive), but I've got a resource that's going to make it easy for you.
(In fact, if you wanted to, you could get access for every member of staff today.)
As a school leader, you know moving this forward means investing in training. When the adults have the right knowledge and strategies, even a small interaction can make a huge difference to a child.
We know your school doesn't have money to waste and paying for training is expensive (we charge £279 for an hour's face-to-face training).
That means you need:
Cost effective training
...that will provide you with value for years to come
Easy access...
...with no lengthy sign-up procedures or complicated sign-ins
Lifetime access...
...meaning you can refresh staff skills, or train new members of staff, whenever you need
Introducing... Supporting Pupils With Bereavement
Your Supporting Pupils With Bereavement training has been specifically written to give your teaching staff the skills they need to:
- Be practical - know exactly what to say and do to help
- Be confident - anyone can support a child with loss - you don't need any special qualifications, you just need to know what works
- Be brave - doing something is ALWAYS better than doing nothing
Everything you need to support your students and staff is ready and waiting
I'll guide your teaching staff through must-know bereavement facts and techniques, including:
Knowing what children of different ages and stages understand about death...
..from infants to teenagers, so they can pitch their conversations at the right level
Understanding the factors that affect how deeply grief is felt
..so your staff can adapt their approach to the needs of individual pupils
Investigating how children demonstrate grief...
...and how it affects their emotions and behaviour
Tonnes of practical strategies to support children with the grieving process...
...so your staff know exactly what to say and do under these difficult circumstances
Pitfalls to avoid...
...because no one wants to get it 'wrong' and make a situation worse
