The School Bereavement Toolkit

This guidebook is designed to help staff in schools support bereaved children in their care. Providing information and guidance on practical issues around bereavement and indicating some of the issues that might require extra thought or assistance, this book makes accessing relevant information as easy and quick as possible.

Jacquie Palmer ran a counselling service in a school for students with complex medical needs for ten years and gave regular in-service training to teachers on managing bereavement in schools. She is a bereaved mother and has a bereaved daughter of her own. Lucy Spink is an illustrator who has always taken a keen interest in creating art that assists education and the understanding of ideas, particularly for those who learn best through visual learning.

Introduction Basic procedures on hearing the news and in the longer term How a bereaved child might be feeling Considerations when talking to a bereaved child Interventions in the classroom Answering difficult questions Helping classmates support their grieving friend When a child in the class dies When a bereavement needs more support Support for the carers Helpful organisations References and bibliography