Supporting bereaved children and creating a bereavement friendly school

It is estimated that 3% of all children have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. According to a questionnaire of two Norfolk high school year groups (186 pupils), 7% of pupils had experienced the death of parent and sibling, less than 2% had never experienced bereavement (including pet deaths) before.

An overwhelming majority of young people wanted death and bereavement to be taught in school (93%), though very few schools include this topic in the curriculum.   From September 2026, bereavement education will become part of the primary RSE / PSHE curriculum in England.

For the first time, children will be taught that:

"Change and loss, including bereavement, can provoke a range of feelings, that grief is a natural response to bereavement,

and that everyone grieves differently" (DfE, 2025).

This marks a significant step forward in helping society become more compassionate, emotionally aware, and better equipped to support one another through grief and loss.

We are running training sessions to help schools prepare for these changes.

We know from a local bereavement charity in Norfolk that there are still some young people who do not feel they are supported well enough in their school.

For a  sample bereavement policy and other guidelines please contact us.

This booklet was written on behalf of the Norfolk Bereavement Partnership and provides guidance for anyone supporting bereaved children and young people.

We have developed a Padlet of resourses, with recommended books for children of all ages, as well as staff and parents. This is available to all LA schools and subscribing academies.

Sometimes bereavements can also be traumatic, please see Supporting children following trauma