It Takes a Village

“The mother of a girl at school died of a heart attack quite young. I was one of several school staff who went to the funeral. I didn’t know what to say. The girl just chucked her arms round me and gave me a hug. I am amazed at how young people deal with these shattering experiences. They see school as a normal place to be - it's the staff they know, it's the kids that they see every day. They nearly all say ‘I just want to get on with things’. If they need to talk about something then they know I am there. That's our role, to be that rock.” Ewan, Teacher