"Life and death: teaching about death in the Primary School"
Leicester City Primary RE Co-ordinators Group (2005)
This document has been circulated to all Primary Schools in Leicester (September 2005)
For further information please contact RE Consultant 252 6027
The contents of the document can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of the page.
WEBSITES
Winston's wish "Winston's Wish helps bereaved children and young people rebuild their lives after a family death. We offer practical support and guidance to families, to professionals and to anyone concerned about a grieving child."
The Child Bereavement Trust "Grief in its many forms is one of the most painful experiences that anyone can suffer. Every year thousands of families experience the grief of losing a baby, child, mother, father, brother or sister. We believe families deserve the best emotional care in such a crisis."
The Laura Centre The Leicester-based Laura Centre is a Family Bereavement Counselling Centre offering support to anyone affected by the death of a child at any age and from any cause; and to any school age child or young person affected by the death of a parent, carer, grandparent, sibling or any other significant adult.
Cruse Bereavement Care "Cruse Bereavement Care exists to promote the well-being of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. The organisation provides counselling and support. It offers information, advice, education and training services."
Childhood Bereavement Network (CBN) is a national, multi-professional federation of organisations and individuals working with bereaved children and young people. It involves and is actively supported by all the major bereavement care providers in the UK.
At the RE Conference at Beaumanor Hall on 17 March 2005 Peter Greaves of Dovelands Primary School led an interesting workshop on teaching about death.
The following titles were recommended by the teachers attending the workshop (With the exception of titles marked * they can be borrowed from the RE Centre.)
NB The resources are mainly for Foundation Stage to KS2.
Please let us know if you can recommend any other titles E-mail
PICTURE BOOKS
*Feather Pillows by Rose Impey (Collins, 1997 0001981390 hardback/1998 0006645313 paperback) Appears to be out of print but copies are available on Amazon.(Collins, 1997 0001981390 hardback/1998 0006645313 paperback) 'When Sarah's family meet, the talk turns to Grandma Dora who has recently died. Sarah and her brother Jake escape into the garden, but Sarah cannot stop thinking about Grandma. Then, Sarah finds a feather and remembers the day when she filled pillows with her Grandma.'
Badger's parting gifts by Susan Varley (Andersen Press, 1984 0862640628 hardback £9.99/Picture Lions, 1994 0006643175 paperback £4.99)
Heaven by Nicholas Allan (Red Fox, 1998 0099653419 £3.99)
*"Old Gracey Greyshell's last day" from Stories from Hilltop Hospital by Nicholas Allan (Hutchinson, 1997 0091766184 out of print)
*Goodbye Mog by Judith Kerr (Picture Lions, 2002 0007169689 hardback £9.99/June 2005 0007149697 paprback £4.99)
The much-loved picture book cat dies: 'Mog was tired. Mog was dead tired ..... Mog thought "I want to sleep forever." And so she did. But a little bit of her stayed awake to see what would happen next.'
*Emma says goodbye by Carolyn Nystrom (Lion Publishing, 1990 07459106082 out of print)
TEACHER RESOURCE
Assemblies for sensitive issues 2nd edition edited by Gerald Haigh (PFP, 2002 187050570 £25) "Thirty-five assemblies to support you when it's difficult to find the right words." Including a child injured in a road accident, death of a teacher or child (including sudden deaths), closure of an employer, divorce and separation. The assemblies give the option to close with a prayer or a thought.
OTHER BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM THE RE CENTRE
Picture books
Rosie by Stephanie Jeffs (The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2005 1841014222 £5.99) Sub-titled "Coming to terms with the death of a sibling" this story is about Jenny whose sister is suffering from a terminal illness. The style straightforward and the illustrations are attractive. Suitable for KS1+
Granpa by John Burningham (Cape, 1984 0224022792 hardback £9.99/Red Fox, 2003 0099434083 paperback £5.99)
A litle girl has fun playing with her Granpa until he becomes ill and on the last page we see his empty chair and a sad little girl. The slightly ambiguous ending (Has he died or is he in hospital?) paves the way for discussion.
Evie and the man who helped God by Michael Foreman (Andersen Press, 2002 184270219X hardback £10.99) Evie is great friends with George the gardener "the man who helped God." One day he doesn't turn up and Evie's mother explains that George has gone to help God permanently. 4+
The Grandad tree by Trish Cooke (Walker Books, 2000 0744525764 hardback £9.99/0744578752 paperback £4.99) Leigh and Vin used to play with Grandad under the apple tree. Now Grandad has gone but, like the tree, the children's love for him lives on forever. Featuring an African Caribbean family in the UK. FS+
When Uncle Bob died by Althea (Happy Cat Books, 2001 hardback 1903285097 £8.99/paperback 1903285089 £4.99) Includes a couple of pages set in the school where the teacher encourages the children to talk about their experiences of death. FS+
Factual resources
Beginnings and endings with lifetimes in between by Bryan Mellonte (Belitha Press, 1997 1855617609 paperback £5.99) "A beautiful way to explain life and death to children." Pictures show animals and other living things and the text explains that all things live and die including people. KS1+
Choices and decisions: when people die by Pete Sanders (Watts, 2004 0749654953 hardback £12.99) this series covers "modern issues that affect you" and is aimed at upper KS2
I miss you: a first look at death by Pat Thomas (HodderWayland, 2000 0750030739 paperback £5.99) picture book aimed at FS/KS1
Separations: death by Janine Amos (Cherry Tree Press, 1997 1842341634 paperback £4.99) The "Separations" series helps children in stressful situations through letters, stories and practical advice. Lower KS2+
Special ceremonies: Life's end by Cath Senker (HodderWayland, 2005 0750246537 hardback £11.99) Basic outlines of the death rites performed in the six major faiths. KS2
Festivals & celebrations (BBC Education, 1995 0563397810) Video pack for KS1 has a section about death from a mainly Christian viewpoint.
Teacher resources
A teacher's handbook of death by Maggie Jackson & Jim Colwell (Jessica Kingsley Publications, 2002 1843100150 313.95) The authors offer different strategies for talking about death in the context of different school lessons. The chapters give clear indications about appropriate ages for the suggested lessons.
