The importance of understanding bereavement in schools
Many teachers have told us they wish they had been better prepared when they experience a death in the school community. To support schools we have developed a free Bereavement Resource which you can find in our Resources page (LINK).
Young people can find it very difficult to ask for help after a bereavement, so knowing what help is available and how to enable children and students to get appropriate help is important for schools.
It is not always the loss of a loved one through death that bereavement occurs. Divorce, separation and moving away to a new location can also cause feelings of grief and loss.
It is important for young people to be informed about bereavement. Schools can help prepare pupils for their own future experiences of loss, good education can help dispel myths and taboos, and help children to know how to support their peers.
Grief is a very personal experience, every child and young person will experience it in a different way. Frustration, anger and instability are widespread reactions, and this can lead to changes in behaviour in class. Teachers and educators can be far more comfortable knowing how to support a pupil experiencing grief, and can manage challenging behaviour more productively.
In her paper Child Bereavement: What School Psychologists Need To Know. Huda Ayyash-Abdo explains that silencing the subject of death at home and at school, leads to children experiencing “pain, isolation, distress and at times dysfunctional manifestations of grief”. Left to their own devices, unhealthy grieving in children and young people has a detrimental effect on them. School psychologists may not have the time to provide the ongoing support to every bereaved student and their family, sometimes additional support is needed.
Integrating death and bereavement education into the curriculum can help children to develop a realistic and healthy attitude towards death and loss, be more sensitive to the grief of others and develop more effective coping strategies of their own. Education around death and loss is a better preventative measure for future problems.
Teachers and educators may need to understand their own grief and loss, and feel better prepared to support their colleagues too. The pandemic has caused a much greater need in schools to be more aware of grief, loss and bereavement not only in the pupils but also for staff. In response to this we have developed a free Bereavement Resource
which you can find in our Resources page.
This resource has been developed in collaboration with Rainbows Bereavement Support GB, Grief Encounter and World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation. This resource will also give you some more awareness into the different cultural rituals and rites around bereavement.
Rainbows Bereavement Support Great Britain, is a well respected national charity having a proven, positive impact on the lives of children, young people and adults. Their vision is quite simply for every child and young person in every school in Great Britain, grieving a significant and often devastating loss in their lives, to be understood and supported appropriately.
Grief Encounter is a charity set up to help with the confusion, fear, loneliness and pain, providing a lifeline to children and young people to cope with free, immediate, one-to-one
support. They work closely with schools nationwide to ensure all students have someone to turn to following bereavement.
World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation worked with us to organise a screening of their film Emu Runner to help raise awareness of the different ways that a child can manage their grieving. It tells the story of an 8-year-old indigenous Australian girl dealing with her mother’s death by forging a bond with a wild emu and helping her deal with her grief. We hope this heart warming family film will not only educate but motivate you to learn more about issues around bereavement and the cultural differences that can add further challenges.
We hope you enjoy the film and find our resource useful.
Steve Sinnott • June 25, 2021
In our continued commitment to ensuring quality and inclusive education for every child, we’ve taken our advocacy to a new level by empowering the next generation to lead the conversation. In partnership with The Gambia Teachers Union, we recently convened the Foundation’s Young Ambassadors for a vibrant day of engagement dedicated to promoting the right to education for all. The event brought together passionate students from selected senior secondary schools across Region One, including St. John’s School for the Deaf, to explore what it truly means to make education inclusive, equitable, and accessible to every learner.
The Steve Sinnott Foundation is proud to celebrate the inspirational winners of the 2025 Seeds of Hope for a Better Future competition, a global initiative supported by UNESCO that brings together creativity, community, and a shared commitment to peace and sustainability. This unique project invited schools across the world from nursery and primary through to secondary and high school to explore the values of peace, cultural understanding, and care for the planet. In the face of climate change, young people were asked to tell their stories through art, performance, and digital creativity, highlighting how small seeds of action can grow into powerful movements for hope. The results have been extraordinary. Schools in France, the UK, Gambia, Haiti, and Kenya have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, with projects ranging from community gardens and sculptures to dance performances and illustrated stories. Each winner has shown how young voices and imagination can nurture peace and sustainability in ways that inspire us all. The full Awards Ceremony can be watched linked here: S eeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025 Highlights from the Winners Oak View Primary and Nursery School (UK) created Faces of Feeling, a collection of joyful sculptures already exhibited in a local gallery. Judges praised their work as supporting the wellbeing of others and embodying the idea of children as true “Seeds of Hope.” St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School (Gambia) painted Campaign for a Sustainable Banjul , reflecting real-world climate action in their city. The judges described it as “a most deserving and robust winner.” In France , the Jardin d'Enfants des Nations Unies (United Nations Nursery School) won hearts with Wind of Peace , where 5-6 year olds combined drawings, paintings, and tree planting to champion reforestation. Lyng Hall Secondary School, Coventry (UK) collaborated with Henley Green Primary and the UK Literacy Association to produce The Heart Shaped Hole – an innovative and metaphorical take on Seeds of Hope. Earlsdon Primary School, Coventry (UK) impressed with Primary Plot , a project that included gardening with the visually impaired, reflecting inclusivity and sustainability. A remarkable cross-collaboration between 21 schools across West Yorkshire, Essex, and Tower Hamlets (UK) resulted in Lights, Camera, Score , an ambitious combination of animation, music, and storytelling. CIMA Community School of Hope, Haiti shared Konbit - a video of dance and solidarity, inspiring villages to work together for peace and dignity. Daraja Academy, Kenya presented an ambitious and optimistic project integrating sustainability into everyday school life. Celebrating Creativity and Peace This year’s competition was judged by an impressive panel of artists, writers, and cultural leaders including Sir Antony Gormley, Edmund de Waal, Dame Liz Forgan, Hugh Quarshie, and Rathna Ramanathan. Their collective expertise highlighted the quality and depth of the entries, each of which showed how art can be a powerful tool for global understanding and change. The Seeds of Hope initiative is part of UNESCO UK’s Arts and Culture for Peace programme, first launched in 2022. It has grown from earlier collaborations such as the Coventry Young Ambassadors’ Islands of Peace Japanese Garden , opened in 2021 a living reminder that seeds planted in communities can continue to flourish. Highlights from the ceremony can be found here at this playlist Looking Ahead As Ann Beatty, UNESCO ASPnet UK National Coordinator , shared: “The quality of entries was extraordinary. We are delighted at the response to this amazing initiative in collaboration with our international partners.” And in the words of judge Jannette Cheong : “Young people around the world understand well the value of peace and tolerant relationships between cultures. Their creativity is an inspiration to all of us.” At The Steve Sinnott Foundation, we believe that education is the seed from which hope grows. The Seeds of Hope competition is a shining example of how young people through creativity, compassion, and collaboration are already shaping a more peaceful and sustainable future. You can access the full online awards presentation here: Seeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025
The journey to strengthen the well-being and success of learners in The Gambia continues with a renewed commitment to guidance and counselling in schools. By August 14th 2025, we have successfully trained 140 educators across 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑 & 𝟒 under our Guidance & Counselling Programme. A programme designed to equip educators with the skills to support students’ academic, social, and emotional development. Region 3 Teachers Complete Level 2 Training On Wednesday, 6th August, thirty teachers from Region 3 (North Bank Region) began a three-day Level 2 Guidance and Counselling training at the Christian Council in Kanifing. This programme built on their earlier Level 1 training in Farafenni, with a focus on deepening their capacity to serve as school-based counsellors. The training concluded with a certificate presentation ceremony, recognising the teachers’ commitment and marking an important step in their professional development. These certificates symbolize more than an achievement; they represent each teacher’s readiness to provide psychosocial support, guidance, and mentorship to learners across their schools.
