How To Write A School Bereavement Policy

Key Takeaways

• A clear, compassionate bereavement policy helps your school respond calmly and consistently when a death affects pupils, staff, or families.

• Develop the policy collaboratively with safeguarding, pastoral, SEND, and governors, to ensure it is realistic and workable.

• Make roles and communication routes clear, so families receive timely, sensitive support and staff are confident in their responsibilities.

• Keep the policy up to date, share it regularly, and support it with training so it remains practical and effective.

According to the organisation Child Bereavement UK (opens in a new tab), 1 in 29 pupils aged five to sixteen has been bereaved of a parent or sibling. That is one in every class. Many students are coping with the loss of a grandparent, friend or significant person in their lives.

It is therefore essential to have a clear, compassionate bereavement policy to help your school respond with confidence, care and sensitivity when loss affects pupils, staff, or families. 

This guide outlines how to write a school bereavement policy. It details the key elements your school's policy should include, highlights common challenges, and offers practical steps to review and improve it.

Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Your Policy

Here is the process for creating or revising your school’s bereavement policy.

Step 1: Consult With Stakeholders

Begin by involving the people who will need to use the policy in real life. This usually includes senior leaders, the designated safeguarding lead, pastoral or wellbeing staff, SEND staff, and governors or trustees.

Where appropriate, you may also seek views from pupils, parents, or specialist organisations, such as Child Bereavement UK (opens in a new tab). You can gather input through meetings, short surveys, or small focus groups.

Step 2: Research Best Practice

Before drafting your own policy, review trusted guidance. This might include resources from bereavement charities such as Child Bereavement UK (opens in a new tab), local authority guidance, or policies from other schools.

When looking at examples from other schools or organisations, pay attention to policies that clearly define roles, outline procedures, and integrate bereavement support with wider wellbeing provision.

Step 3: Draft The Policy

Use clear, accessible language and a logical structure with headings that are easy to navigate in a crisis. 

Start with a short statement of your school’s values and approach to bereavement. Be explicit about procedures for different scenarios, such as the death of a pupil, staff member, or close family member.

Make sure the policy is realistic for your school’s size, age range, and existing pastoral systems. 

As Tracey Boseley, Head of Education Sector Support at Child Bereavement UK (opens in a new tab), explains: “A bereavement policy that is genuinely useful is one that is right for your individual school. Every setting is different, so it is important that a bereavement policy is appropriate for the size, structure and organisation of your school, as well as reflecting the organisation's culture and ethos.” 

Step 4: Review And Refine

Share your draft with key stakeholders for honest, practical feedback. Ask whether the policy is clear, sensitive, and workable in real situations.

Revise the document to address any gaps, ambiguities, or concerns, and refine the language so it is both compassionate and easy to follow.

Step 5: Gain Approval

Once finalised, submit the policy for formal approval through your school’s usual governance processes. This will typically be the governing body or a safeguarding or wellbeing committee.

Ensure the policy is clearly dated, recorded in your policy schedule, and assigned a named lead and review date.

Step 6: Implement And Communicate

Introduce the policy to all staff through training, briefings, or staff meetings. Make sure that everyone understands their responsibilities. Tracey Boseley comments that the bereavement policy “needs to be shared with staff and other members of the school community on a regular basis”.

Boseley advises that bereavement policies “should be supported by appropriate training and development, particularly around the impact of the language we use to talk about death and dying.”

Consider how you will make parents and pupils aware that a bereavement policy exists. For example, by making the document available on your website or school handbook.

Step 7: Review Regularly

Tracey Boseley observes: “It’s important for schools to recognise that a bereavement policy is a working document which needs to be regularly updated and revised in response to changes in your school community.”

Set a review cycle, usually every two or three years, or sooner if there are significant changes in your school or in national guidance.

It is also good practice to reflect on the policy after any major bereavement incident, to capture lessons learned and make practical improvements.

Key Elements Of A School Bereavement Policy

Every effective bereavement policy should include a number of clear, well-defined components that guide both care and practice.

Statement Of Intent

Your statement of intent should set out your school’s commitment to supporting bereaved pupils and staff with empathy, dignity, and consistency. 

It should reflect your school’s values and make clear that bereavement support is part of your wider safeguarding and wellbeing responsibilities.

Scope And Definitions

Clarify who the policy applies to, such as pupils, staff, and, where relevant, families. Define what types of bereavement are covered, for example, the death of a parent, sibling, grandparent, friend, or member of staff.

Roles And Responsibilities

Identify who leads on bereavement support and who has specific responsibilities. This should include who coordinates support, who communicates with families, and who liaises with external agencies when needed.

Support For Bereaved Pupils

Outline the support available to pupils, such as pastoral check-ins, counselling referrals, flexible attendance arrangements, or reasonable adjustments to assessments. 

Emphasise listening to the pupil and avoiding assumptions about how they should grieve.

Support For Bereaved Staff

Include guidance on bereavement or compassionate leave, access to wellbeing support, and how workloads may be adjusted temporarily when staff return to work.

Communication Protocols

Set out how the school will communicate sensitively about bereavement with pupils, staff, and parents. Make clear who communicates what, when, and how, while respecting privacy.

Training And Awareness

Explain what training staff will receive on bereavement awareness or trauma-informed practice, and how this will be kept up to date.

Links To Other Policies

Make explicit links to related policies, such as safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, mental health and wellbeing, and SEND, so staff understand how the bereavement policy fits within your wider framework of school policies and procedures.

Common Challenges And How To Overcome Them

Inconsistent Responses Across Staff

Some staff feel confident supporting bereaved pupils, while others feel unsure.

What helps: Clear guidance in your policy, basic bereavement awareness training, and a named lead staff member for advice.

Balancing Sensitivity With Academic Expectations

Schools can struggle to be compassionate while meeting attendance and assessment requirements.

What helps: Build flexibility into your policy, such as agreed adjustments or phased returns.

Communicating With Families During a Crisis

Poor or delayed communication can cause additional distress.

What helps: Designate a single point of contact for the family. Set out clear communication routes in your policy.

Resources And Support For Schools

Many organisations offer guidance, training, and practical resources to help schools support bereaved pupils and staff. Building a relationship with one or two trusted partners can make a significant difference when you need specialist advice.

A particularly useful source is Child Bereavement UK (opens in a new tab), which offers clear guidance on developing and implementing a school bereavement policy, staff training and consultation, and practical resources for supporting children and young people.

Bereavement Policy Template Checklist

Use this checklist to review your draft policy:

• Clear statement of intent

• Defined scope and key terms

• Named roles and responsibilities

• Procedures for supporting pupils

• Procedures for supporting staff

• Communication protocols

• Training and professional development plans

• Links to related policies

• Review cycle and update process

• Contact details for external support services

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Should A School Bereavement Policy Be?

There is no fixed length, but three to eight pages is typical.

The most effective policies are detailed enough to provide clear guidance while remaining practical and accessible. 

What Is The Difference Between Bereavement Leave And Compassionate Leave?

Bereavement leave usually refers specifically to time off following a death and may have defined entitlements in your school or trust. 

Compassionate leave is broader and can cover serious illness or other family emergencies, as well as bereavement.

Who Should Lead On Bereavement Support In Schools?

This is often led by a senior pastoral colleague, such as the designated safeguarding lead, head of year, or wellbeing lead, working closely with senior leadership.

Do Academies And State Schools Have Different Requirements For Bereavement Policies?

There is no statutory requirement for a standalone bereavement policy in either setting.

However, all schools must meet safeguarding and wellbeing expectations, and academies may have slightly different internal approval processes.

Final Thoughts

Although writing a school bereavement policy is not easy, it is an essential part of creating a caring and resilient school community. By consulting widely, grounding your policy in best practice, and reviewing it regularly, you can ensure your school is prepared to respond calmly, compassionately and consistently when loss occurs.

By involving the right people, grounding your approach in best practice, and reviewing your policy regularly, you give staff, pupils, and families reassurance that they will be supported with dignity and sensitivity at some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Most importantly, a strong bereavement policy shows that your school takes wellbeing seriously. It signals that, in the most challenging moments, your school will put people first.

References:

• Child Bereavement UK: Guidance for Schools on Supporting Bereaved Children (opens in a new tab) 

• Child Bereavement UK: Developing a Bereavement Policy (opens in a new tab)

• Information and quotes: Tracey Boseley, Head of Education Sector Support, Child Bereavement UK (opens in a new tab)