Bereavement support for schools | Mentally Healthy Schools

About this resource

Ask Me: Education is a bereavement support resource from Winston’s Wish, designed to help schools respond thoughtfully and confidently when a bereavement affects their community.

The pack includes:

bereavement plans for early years, key stage 1 and key stage 2+
a guide for education staff on how to implement the plan
a child booklet to support pupils to share how they feel and what helps
practical and immediate guidance for responding to a death within the school community
support for helping a pupil return to school following the death of a family member or friend.

The ASK Me materials have been co-created with bereaved young people. They are designed to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and instead give children choice and a voice in how they are supported.

Please note: you will be asked to provide your details to download this free resource.

Using this resource

This resource is designed for: 

senior leaders and mental health leads
pastoral staff and education staff supporting a bereaved pupil.

It can support both a coordinated whole-school response to bereavement and individual planning for a pupil experiencing loss.

Learning outcomes

This resource addresses the following learning outcomes:

Create a plan to develop, implement and sustain a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing, tailored to their setting’s needs.
Support or signpost relevant evidence-based resources for parents, families and carers so they can develop skills and strategies to support both their child and themselves.
Share simple evidence-based strategies and exercises with staff and pupils/students to help them manage their mental health and develop their own coping strategies.