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Support for schools

We are committed to working closely with schools to help bereaved children, their families and school professionals.

Our vision is to maintain an honest and open attitude towards death so that we can continue to help families grieve in a healthy way.

Death is a subject that not many individuals feel comfortable talking about, but sadly it happens and when it does it is important that schools are prepared.

Bereavement can have a profound negative impact on a child or young person’s academic achievement.

Our educational support programme aims to work closely with children and their school to ensure those bereaved feel supported and understood.

How we can support your school

  • Guidance on having open conversations with children in age-appropriate ways
  • Helping schools implement bereavement support plans for individual children and young people
  • Telephone support for staff,  providing confidential support and guidance
  • Guidance for teachers when communicating with parents
  • Access to our free bereavement support bags
  • Dedicated Bereavement Support Practitioner when supporting one of your pupils

Bereavement support bags for schools

Our We’re Here For You bags are a unique and special comfort bag designed for primary schools by our Bereavement Support Practitioners and children supported by Once Upon a Smile. These are to support children that have experienced the death of parent/guardian, sibling or grandparent.

These bags are currently funded by our charity and cost £16.60 per bag and we will continue to provide these to schools in Greater Manchester for as long as we can.

If you would like to learn more or your school would like to order our We’re Here For You bag, please click the button below.

Order here

Educational Bereavement Plan

Here are some suggestions from young people about what could help to make school a good place to learn:

  • Identifying a key person for the difficult days.
  • Checking if they are happy to join in the lesson and to have somewhere quiet to go to or someone to talk to after the lesson if they find it overwhelming.
  • System for managing and communicating important information about a bereavement, including transitions from one class or school to another.
  • Keeping a note on a child’s file of important dates such as the anniversary of a death or the birthday of the person who has died, these days can feel heavy.
  • Acknowledge what has happened, keep it simple.

Become a referrer

Supporting families in need through schools, hospitals, hospices & charities.

Get in touch

We’re here to help and support you.