Growing in Grief Awareness toolkit

Free toolkit to help schools and colleges take a whole-school approach to bereavement, with an audit and action framework to improve provision and build staff confidence. 

Last reviewed: 29 October 2025

  • Author Childhood Bereavement Network
  • Whole-school or college approach principles Key
    1 Leadership and management
    Supporting
    • 5 Staff development, health and wellbeing

About this resource

This downloadable audit and action plan spreadsheet helps schools and colleges embed a whole-school approach to bereavement support.

It enables settings to review current provision, assign responsibilities, set completion dates and access further resources for each action. The tool generates a working document that can be updated over time to monitor progress.

It also provides a transparent evidence base to share with stakeholders, inspectors and parents, showing how bereavement support is being addressed. Once indicators are complete, a Growing in grief awareness logo can be downloaded to highlight commitment.

We recommend using this toolkit alongside the Anna Freud 5 Steps audit and action plan to strengthen whole-school bereavement support. 

 

Using this resource

This resource is designed for: 

  • mental health leads and senior leaders developing whole-school bereavement strategies. 

Learning outcomes

This resource addresses the following learning outcomes: 

  • Use their knowledge to effectively communicate a positive values-based approach, and to promote openness and understanding to normalise mental health and its fluctuations throughout life. 

  • Author Childhood Bereavement Network
  • Whole-school or college approach principles Key
    1 Leadership and management
    Supporting
    • 5 Staff development, health and wellbeing

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