Time to Change: What is Mental Health Stigma?

At The Fen Rivers Academy we understand that bereavement is an experience which is likely to be faced by all members of our school community at some point. We appreciate that there will be significant challenges when the loss is of a member of our school community, a child or staff member. Pupils will need to be supported when they experience family bereavements and other significant losses during their lives.

The Fen Rivers Academy  is committed to the emotional health and well-being of its staff and pupils. We are dedicated to the continual development of a ‘healthy school’. We wish to work towards this in all aspects of school life, and to provide an ethos, environment and curriculum that supports and prepares pupils for coping with separation or loss of a loved one, either through death, divorce or separation.

Following a Bereavement:

We believe that children and adults alike have the right to:

• be given space and time to grieve
• be given or signposted to support from whichever source is deemed the most appropriate – if
• possible, of their own choice.
• encounter a caring environment in which they feel safe to demonstrate grief without fear of judgement.

We recognise that:

• grief may not always be apparent to the onlooker, but its invisibility makes it no less real.
• differing religions/cultures view death and bereavement from different perspectives and all viewpoints should be taken into consideration and given equal value in the school environment.
• the death of a child has huge repercussions beyond the immediate teaching/care team of that child and every effort should be taken to inform and deal sensitively with the far-reaching contacts.