Specialist teams supporting pupils and staff at Blackpool school

Dozens of floral tributes has been left outside South Shore Academy in St Annes Road since receptionish Jane Tweddle was confirmed as one of the 22 victims of the blast.

Jane, 51, went to the Arena on Monday evening with a friend with was picking up her children from the Ariana Grande concert.

She was in the foyer of the arena when the suitcase bomb, believed to have been carried by 22-year-old Salman Abedi, exploded.

Pupils past and present, gathered outside the school buildings on Wednesday evening to pay their respects to Ms Tweddle, who was described by Jane Bailey, principal of South Shore Academy, as a ‘truly wonderful friend and colleague’.

The school today confirmed specialist teams from both the Brighter Futures Educational Trust and from Blackpool Council were providing support to pupils.

Blackpool Council’s critical incident response team has been working with pupils and staff in the aftermath of Monday’s tragedy.

A school spokesman said: “On Tuesday and Wednesday the BFET (Bright Futures Educational Trust) Targeted and Specialist Support (TaSS) team went to the school as did the Blackpool Council critical incident response team.

“The principcal has emailed all staff with the detailsof the BFET employee assistance programme, provided through Blackpool occupational health.

“There is a counsellor on site at school.

“All students had a PSHE lesson on Thursday, which has been planned around the facts of the incident, focusing on the sense of community and humanity that has been so evident.”

Blackpool Council says its critical incident team was made up of workers from a number of council departments.

They have been providing pastoral care, mental health support and counselling to pupils and staff at the school.