Hastings schoolboy dies after medical event

An 11-year-old boy who was a student at Parkvale School in Hastings has died after suffering what is believed to have been a medical event at home. PHOTO/FILE

An 11-year-old schoolboy has died after suffering what is believed to have been a medical event.

Police were alerted at approximately 8am on Thursday and attended his Hastings home.

A police spokeswoman said the boy had already passed away when they arrived and the death, believed to be a medical event, had been referred to the coroner.

The boy was a student at Parkvale School and services were immediately put in place to support the school's community.

A school spokesperson said the community, including some of the boy's closest friends, had been informed of the death on Thursday.

"We had students' parents here yesterday [Thursday] before we told the kids, so they could have their parents with them as we broke the news that their friend had passed away."

The Ministry of Education had attended the school for the day and several extra staff members were on board to ensure the boy's hub was well-supported, they said.

"They [the Ministry] have trauma consultants who come out. Then we follow the process of what to do, as far as how we let our kids know, the support mechanisms and letting our community know."

They said the grief was still "pretty raw" and support services were in place for both students and teachers.

"We have procedures in place that our staff can access, so we've debriefed them on the support they can get. If we've got children who are still struggling, Victim Support will work with their parents. If they're still [struggling] by next week we'll look to have counsellors on site."

The school, now dealing with the funeral process, had put a stop to social media at the family's request. They are now out of town, the spokesperson said.

Ministry of Education head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said the Ministry had worked closely with the school this week to assist the principal to support the children and school staff.

"Our thoughts go out to those that have been impacted by the sudden death of a young person at Parkvale School. We will provide support as long as it is needed to supplement the work the school's already got underway."