When telling a school about a death that affects an individual pupil, the wishes of the child directly affected need to be taken into account.

A whole school assembly may not be appropriate or wanted, but the decision will be influenced by the size of the school and if the person who died was well known to the school community.  You may find our Saying Goodbye section helpful.

A delicate balance is required between the individual and private grief of the pupil concerned and possible need to acknowledge and address the situation with the whole school.

Many schools firstly tell the class or year group most affected, and follow this up with a brief acknowledgment during assembly.

•   If possible, involve the pupil by asking them how they would like this to be
    handled. A home visit, if agreed with the family, may be requireed if the
    pupil is not at school.

•   If the pupil was not present when the news was given, make sure that they
    are told what was said and when.

•   Whoever is giving the news should be supported and ideally not be in the
    classroom on their own with the pupils.