School Crisis and Bereavement Support

When a school community experiences the sudden death of a student or staff member, particularly when suicide is suspected, the immediate response can feel overwhelming.

 

Maria Nastri supports schools in two key ways: practical guidance and compassionate emotional support, helping schools respond with sensitivity, clarity, and confidence during an incredibly difficult time.

With over 20 years’ experience supporting schools through crisis, Maria works to complement Educational Psychologists, Safeguarding Leads, and Safe Space teams to help schools manage both the immediate response and the longer-term impact of loss.

Immediate Support: Guidance During the First Days After A Crisis.

In the immediate aftermath of a sudden death, Maria provides calm, practical guidance to help schools respond safely and sensitively.

This includes:

  • Supporting senior leadership and pastoral teams with questions about communication, response, and next steps
  • Offering practical advice to help schools manage the early stages of crisis response
  • Helping ensure the whole school community feels supported, informed, and cared for
  • Holding safe, supportive spaces where staff and students can begin to process shock and grief

At a time of immense loss and uncertainty, this gentle guidance helps schools feel less alone and more confident in their response.

Ongoing Support: Weeks, Months and Beyond

Grief does not end after the first few days. Schools may wish to offer continued support as the reality of loss unfolds over time.

In the weeks, months, and years following the incident, Maria and her team can offer:

  • Small group bereavement support, for students or staff, allowing shared reflection and connection
  • One-to-one support for individuals struggling with grief
  • Safe, informal spaces where difficult questions can be explored sensitively

These spaces help young people feel understood, reduce isolation, and support emotional wellbeing following complex bereavement.

Working alongside Existing School Systems

This support is designed to complement, not replace, existing school systems, working alongside:

  • Safeguarding and Leadership Teams
  • School wellbeing and pastoral staff
  • Educational Psychologists
  • Local authority services

The focus is always on keeping the emotional needs of young people, staff and the wider school community at the centre.

Contact Information

OLLIE’s offer of support aims to:

  • Reduce feelings of isolation and fear

  • Strengthen emotional resilience

  • Support healthy grieving

  • Protect longer-term well-being

  • Strengthen supportive systems

Schools will:

  • Provide safe spaces for reflection and support for staff and students

  • Strengthen staff and student confidence in responding to grief

  • Build a compassionate and connected school community

Time & place

  • Duration: Initial crisis response – 1 day

  • Delivery: In person, in school

  • Support is for: Staff and students

Cost

  • We fully fund all of our crisis response work . We dearly hope this is a service your school will never need.

Safeguarding Information

Every effort will be made to support schools sensitively and ethically. OLLIE’s support is designed to complement school policies and procedures already in place.

This offer does not replace the support Hertfordshire schools receive through an Educational Psychologists and Safe Space.

Maria Nastri is an expert in supporting schools in their grief and is not a trained counsellor and does not offer a counselling service.

We value and appreciate our incredibly diverse staff and students in Hertfordshire.  To ensure that our work remains supportive, we provide a respectful environment, sensitive to the range of views in the room.