More importantly, this month the Department for Education put out its first substantive update on its guidance regarding relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE). By September 2026 at the latest, younger children in primary schools will be taught how to cope with death. This change aims to equip children with the skills to cope with grief, addressing an issue that significantly affects many young people.
Simon Wright, chief executive of the Norfolk-based bereavement charity Nelson’s Journey, said he was delighted by the launch of the new guidance. His claim that his staff were “over the moon” over the introduction of bereavement teaching in primary schools. Research indicates that one in 29 school-age children experience the death of a sibling or parent, highlighting the necessity for such education.
Wright said it was critical to cultivate a culture of grief awareness in all young people. He noted, “We know that unsupported grief for children can have quite devastating consequences that can stick with children for some time.” The new curriculum will, one imagines, offer these children support they’ll need in their formative years to help them catch up or succeed.
Shannon O’Sullivan, headteacher of Thomas Bullock Primary School in Shipdham, Norfolk said she was pleased to hear the news from the Department for Education. She noted, “Preparing children for these real-life events and normalising that we have an emotional response to loss will really help children to understand that feeling worried or low is normal and doesn’t automatically mean that there are wider issues.” Her school is one of many that are already working to be the first to put the new guidance into practice.
The RSHE change takes this further, formalising what is already happening in some schools. While many institutions have been handling bereavement unofficially, the new guidance offers a formalized process. Creative organizations like Nelson’s Journey are making changes. They are now taking steps to arm teachers, school counselors and other staff with tools necessary to support children through such experiences in academic environments. Nelson’s Journey receives approximately 700 referrals for young people in need of bereavement support each passing year.
Jay Harrison, a practitioner for the bereavement service at Norfolk and Waveney Mind. He commended the announcement, welcoming it as a step in the right direction. He remarked, “Kids are cleverer than we give them credit for,” adding that they are naturally inquisitive and will have questions about what happens when someone dies. Harrison believes it is essential for adults to impart knowledge about grief and create a more resilient community moving forward.
“Developing that understanding of grief for all young people is incredibly important, both for those young people who have experienced death but also for all children to understand their relationship with others who may be grieving.” – Simon Wright
Charities and community organisations from across Norfolk are leading the way to provide enhanced bereavement support. They’re training schools, so that educators know how to better serve the students who need help the most. Primary schools throughout the region are preparing to adopt these reforms. Their paramount goal is to inspire resilience and creativity in the next generation of thinkers and doers.