Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you are all feeling well. I am emailing you while we are mourning the loss of Kelyan Bokassa, one of our students – as many of you are aware. I want to share some of the things we have been talking to students about regarding them keeping safe and some of the things we are planning to support them and you even further. We had an assembly on Friday where we remembered Kelyan and repeated some of the kind things students have said about him. We also shared a minute’s silence in remembrance.
We are seeing different reactions from students at different times as is usual during the grieving process however well you knew the person. Some are sad, quiet and withdrawn and some are angry, impatient and active. Some may be feeling anxious about the safety of themselves and loved ones or guilty that they couldn’t stop it happening. We discussed this with them in the assembly. Please talk things through with your child if you notice changes in their behaviour and contact us if you would like extra support.
We also talked about keeping themselves safe in the community. We gave them the advice below. It may help to talk these through with your child and think about using them if you don’t:
- let adults know where you are
- if you feel unsafe, find an adult to tell (on bus, in shop, on streets)
- return home by the time of your curfew so that your parents/carers don’t worry about you
- sit or stand downstairs on a bus if possible – this is safer
- the police are here to help you, they have been helping us to get through this tragedy
- be accompanied by an adult if you are going out very late
- stay in contact with your parents/carers if you are going to be later than you said you would be
- do not get involved in social media arguments or WhatsApp groups
Finally, we are increasing the work we do in school. There have been extra sessions from education and clinical staff to support individuals emotionally and help them process what has happened. We already have lessons around grooming and staying safe, mentoring for some students and a well developed emotional support programme through our relationships policy and RSHE curriculum. We are extending this work including a long-term mentoring project for a wider group of young people we think are particularly at risk. We are also planning more sessions to support parents with keeping their children safe – we’ll let you know when the dates for these are finalised.
Please do get in touch with the school if you are worried or just want to talk any of this through.
Yours faithfully,
Jon Kelly
Head Teacher