Teaching about loss and bereavement in schools

On average, 1 in every 29 children will be bereaved of a parent, that's the equivalent of one in every class, and many more children will experience the death of another family member or friend. It is something that impacts us all, yet for many people, death is not something that is often talked about. Therefore, it is important to provide the opportunity to learn about bereavement in PSHE lessons and to support children and young people to develop the skills and understanding they need to deal with this particular life event.

Our free PSHE lesson plans and assembly content is designed to help you talk about bereavement and loss with your pupils, further their understanding and educate them on how best to help a grieving friend. The programme is broken down into key stages and includes two lesson plans and supporting resources, a guide and introductory e-learning to support safe delivery of the lessons. These resources for lessons on loss (created for Key Stages 1-4) have been written by PSHE teachers and our bereavement specialists.

Our PSHE lessons are free, simply click the button below and fill out the form to access them. You will then be able to download the lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations and resources for each Key Stage. If you have any queries, please contact us on [email protected].

Winston's Wish and Child Bereavement UK have come together and are now one unified charity: Child Bereavement UK. These resources were developed by Winston's Wish and still carry our previous branding, but the information is up to date and remains fully relevant. We're currently updating our branding, and new versions will be available soon.

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KS1 PSHE lessons and resources

There are two PSHE lessons for Key Stage 1 about loss, grief and bereavement. The lessons use a story (Goodbye Mousie) to introduce the sensitive subject of the death of a loved pet and cover the key concepts of alive and dead, explore feelings related to loss and identify ways to offer support and comfort to a friend. Our resources include lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations for two lessons, plus four activities for your class to complete.

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KS2 PSHE lessons and resources

There are two PSHE lessons for Key Stage 2 about loss, grief and bereavement. The lessons use stories (The Heart and the Bottle and Michael Rosen's Sad Book) to introduce the sensitive subject of the death of a loved family member to develop children's understanding of loss and bereavement, and to explore different ways to cope with difficult feelings. Our resources include lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations for two lessons, plus four activities for your class to complete.

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KS3 PSHE lessons and resources

There are two PSHE lessons for Key Stage 3 about loss, grief and bereavement. They use a range of stimulus material to develop pupils' understanding of death and grief, the emotions bereaved people might feel and the skills and strategies to handle difficult feelings and to support a bereaved friend. Our resources include lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations for two lessons, plus four activities for your class to complete.

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KS4 PSHE lessons and resources

There are two PSHE lessons for Key Stage 4 about loss, grief and bereavement, written by PSHE teachers and bereavement specialists. They focus on developing pupils' understanding of death and grief, the impact of bereavement on a young person and how to support a bereaved friend. Our resources include lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations for two lessons, plus four activities for your class to complete.

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These PSHE lessons and resources were developed thanks to funding from The True Colours Trust and The Matthew Elvidge Trust.

Other bereavement support for schools

Other resources to help and support members of a school community

• Support for the education sector
• Bereavement training for schools
• Films, books and resources
• Thunks on death

Access to free online resources from London Grid for Learning:

• Supporting a bereaved pupil
• Having honest conversations about death and grief
• Managing a sudden death in the school community
• Bereavement and pupils with SEND

For further guidance, you can call our Helpline, email [email protected], or use Live Chat on our website.