A pupil's response will be affected by the nature of the death.

• What were the circumstances surrounding the death? Expected? Sudden? Violent? Suicide? The nature of the death does not make the situation better or worse - it just makes it different.
• What was the cause of death? Might the pupil worry that this could happen again, or to them?
• To what extent was the pupil informed, included and involved?
• What is the reaction of other family members to the death?

No matter what the circumstance of the death, it is important for a pupil to have their grief acknowledged.