Consider how you might take a whole school approach, embed responses within PSHE education and reach out to your wider school community.
PSHE in the age of the 24-hour news cycle
We know that children and young people are increasingly exposed to distressing events — both through first hand experiences and through consuming news content on everything from outbreaks of conflict, terrorist attacks and natural disasters to civil unrest.
And while PSHE education provides a proactive, planned curriculum to explore some of these themes, there will be times when you need to respond more immediately to unforeseen events, allay concerns and answer pupils’ questions.
When pupils arrive at school worried or confused by something they've seen or heard, it’s important to know how to talk to them in a calm, reassuring and effective manner.
Talking to pupils about distressing events
Our guidance will support you to consider how you might take a whole school approach, embed responses within PSHE education and reach out to your wider school community.
Get practical advice on handling difficult, in-the-moment conversations: from managing emotions to ensuring age-appropriateness; and from critically engaging with media to signposting further sources of support.
Whilst we can’t control distressing events taking place in the world — or young people’s access to information about these events — we can control how we discuss them together, and how we support pupils to navigate upsetting news.
