Charity to train teachers over childhood grief

A charity will train teachers and school staff to support support children experiencing grief and loss.

Wolverhampton-based palliative and bereavement support charity Compton Care said its free sessions would help teachers understand how loss affected children at different ages and stages.

By the age of 16, up to 78% of children will have experienced the death of at least one close friend or relative, the charity said.

Deborah Pennington from Compton Care said: “These experiences can have a profound impact on their emotional wellbeing, confidence and learning, and without the right support, may affect outcomes later in life.”

The training comes ahead of updated guidance from the government that learning about bereavement will be a mandatory part of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in schools from September.

The programme will help teachers understand how to create emotionally safe environments and how to respond to both bereavement and the wider range of losses children face, Pennington said.