Cheshire school giving 'wraparound' support to students after death of teenager
Imogen Tothill's body was found in woodland last week
Last updated 14th Feb 2022
Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School is being given ‘wraparound’ support to help pupils and staff come to terms with the tragic death of student Imogen Tothill, Cheshire East has said.
The body of the much loved and respected 17-year-old student was discovered in woodland last week.
At a meeting of the council’s children and families committee on Monday, Cllr June Buckley said: “Over the last five years or so, Holmes Chapel School has had three real tragedies that don’t come in our normal remit of things.”
She asked if there was anything that could be done to help the school.
Pupils and staff have also suffered the loss of 14-year-old Nell Jones, who was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017, and 15-year-old Alex Rodda who was murdered in December 2019.
Clare Williamson, interim director of early help and prevention at Cheshire East Council, said: “We are aware of three tragedies.
“The school have had an immense amount of support, so on each one of those individual cases, and they’re all so very different aren’t they…they’ve had a full wraparound support of agencies across the partnership that have gone in to support the school.”
She said there was a crisis intervention team working with the school at present.
“I’ve got to say that school is immensely equipped, given the circumstances, because they have experienced this a number of times, of how they can put that support in place so they have trained counsellors within school ready, that were working on an individual basis and on a group basis.”