Online resources for schools

The Child Bereavement UK Toolkit is a comprehensive, free-to-access set of online resources for schools, developed by Child Bereavement UK in collaboration with the London Grid for Learning.

Having honest conversations about death and grief

We were more prepared to talk to a mate about his drug use than we were to talk to a friend when their dad died.

- Bereaved student

This free-to access training tool has been developed to give staff in schools confidence to talk openly and honestly about death and grief with students to support their long-term wellbeing and management of grief throughout their lives.

Managing a sudden death in a school community

An accessible support gateway to the effective response to death within school community. Simple, short guidance through quotes, external links and video interviews with experts help provide the information you need at the right time to ensure the whole school community can work together to support each other.

Supporting a bereaved pupil

Supporting a bereaved pupil is a source of support and information, with practical guidance, to empower education professionals to support pupils bereaved of someone important to them.

Latest

"We did the things that Fraser would have wanted us to do."

Caroline’s son and only child Fraser died aged 18 from a brain tumour in 2022. Caroline remembers a special Christmas photo of Fraser and shares how she and her husband Phil marked Christmas after he died.
Caroline

Caroline was supported by Child Bereavement UK in Glasgow after her son and only child Fraser died, aged 18, from a brain tumour in 2022.
Child Bereavement UK’s animation 'The Invisible Suitcase’ wins at Big Syn International Film Festival

Child Bereavement UK’s animation ‘The Invisible Suitcase’ was the joint winner in the Mental Health Charity film category at the 2023 Big Syn International Film Festival, London.
Christmas Concert Volunteer | London

4 December 2023 | 4-5 hours

Explaining death and dying to children

Guidance for teachers and parents on talking to children about death and dying,
Developing a bereavement policy or charter

A school with a bereavement policy is prepared and has plans in place to deal with death, grief and bereavement.
What we provide for the education sector

Read more on what we offer education providers.
Early years

Information for childminders and adults working in a nursery, preschool, playgroup, day-care, childcare, kindergarten, foundation stage or reception.
Primary schools

Information for teachers, teaching assistants, learning support assistants, headteachers, education welfare officers and other adults working in schools
Secondary schools

Information for teachers, teaching assistants, headteachers, education welfare officers and other adults working in secondary schools.
Further/Higher Education

Information for tutors, lecturers and those working in student welfare at higher education institutes, further education colleges and at university.
Guidance in Welsh for schools supporting bereaved pupils

Information for teachers, teaching assistants, learning support assistants, headteachers, education welfare officers and other adults working in schools in Wales.

Telling a child that someone has died

It is important to tell a child of any age when someone important in their lives has died, and ideally this is done by someone who is closest to them.
Supporting bereaved children and young people

Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. Find out how you can help them and more about child grieving.
Grieving for a child of any age

The agony of losing a child of any age is unparalleled. There is no age or point in time that makes it any easier. No parent expects to face the death of their child and no grandparent expects to lose their grandchild.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Guidance on children's understanding of death at different ages and stages of development.
When a grandparent dies

The death of a grandparent is often a child or young person’s first encounter with the death of someone important. Parents have a great deal to manage when their own parent or carer dies. There is the grief associated with their own loss, but also the reactions and responses of their children to the death of a grandparent.
Child Bereavement UK training

Child Bereavement UK designs and delivers training for professionals in health and social care, education, the emergency services and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Babies and young children have no understanding of the concept of death yet, long before they are able to talk, babies are likely to react to upset and changes in their environment brought about by the absence of a significant person.
Contact us

Contact details for our Helpline, departments and services.
When your baby dies

When a baby lives only a short time or dies before birth due to miscarriage, stillbirth or a painful decision to end the pregnancy, people may assume that the loss is not important. This is simply not the case.
UK death & bereavement statistics

A parent of children under 18 dies every 22 minutes in the UK; around 23,600 a year. This equates to around 111 children being bereaved of a parent every day.