PSHE lessons on loss and bereavement
Our free PSHE lessons on loss for Key Stages 1-4 have been developed by teachers and bereavement support workers.
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 resources for lessons on loss (created for Key Stages 1-4) have been developed by teachers and bereavement support workers.
Free PSHE lessons on loss
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 lessons have been written by PSHE teachers and Winston’s Wish bereavement support workers. The programme is broken down into key stages and includes two lesson plans and supporting resources, assembly videos and introductory e-learning to support safe delivery of the lessons.
In addition to the accredited PSHE lessons, we have independently designed an additional programme of resources to supplement the lessons, including animation videos which can be shared in an assembly or classroom to introduce the lessons. We also have engaging activities for each Key Stage which link to the lesson content and provide a way for students to raise money for the work of Winston’s Wish to give hope to grieving children across the UK.
KS1 PSHE lessons
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.
KS2 PSHE lessons
There are two PSHE lessons for Key Stage 2 about loss, grief and bereavement, written by PSHE teachers and bereavement support workers. 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.
KS3 PSHE lessons
There are two PSHE lessons for Key Stage 3 about loss, grief and bereavement, written by PSHE teachers and bereavement support workers. 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.
KS4 PSHE lessons
There are two PSHE lessons for Key Stage 4 about loss, grief and bereavement, written by PSHE teachers and bereavement support practitioners. These lessons focus on developing pupils’ understanding of death and grief, the impact of bereavement on a young person and how to support a friend wo has been bereaved.
Our resources include lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations for two lessons, plus four activities for your class to complete.
Download our PSHE lessons on loss and bereavement
Our PSHE lessons are free, just simply fill out the form below 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, then please contact us on education@winstonswish.org.
Download our PSHE lessons on loss and bereavement
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
Support for schools
Information and advice for teachers and school staff supporting grieving children, including free resources, training and how to speak to our team.
Bereavement training for schools
We offer a variety of training on childhood bereavement for professionals including free online modules, in-depth day courses and bespoke training for organisations.
Growing Hope Garden Project
Bring bereaved children in your primary school together to create a Growing Hope garden and use the power of nature and connection to help them with their grief.
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