Who are we?
At Lessons in Loss®, we provide specialist training, curriculum resources and children’s literature to help schools teach children about grief, loss and change, while confidently supporting children and young people experiencing bereavement and other significant losses.
Lessons in Loss® was founded by Deborah Brown, a former primary headteacher and Grief Recovery Method Specialist, bringing together over 25 years of educational leadership with extensive experience supporting bereaved children, families and professionals.
Working alongside Deborah is Stephen Anderson, Creative Director at Lessons in Loss®. Stephen shapes the distinctive visual identity of our resources through illustration, animation and digital design. Together, we create materials that are educationally robust, visually engaging and designed to help schools approach difficult conversations with confidence, compassion and creativity.
Training
Our CPD-accredited training is suitable for teachers, support staff, senior leaders and pastoral teams.
Training modules include:
- What do you know about grief and loss?
- How does our behaviour relate to grief?
- How to support a grieving child.
- Supporting a school community through grief and crisis.
- Understanding different types of grief.
- What messages do we hear from society about grief?
...with further modules being added.
Curriculum
Our extensive curriculum includes:
Fully immersive lessons for Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Engaging, whiteboard-ready stories designed for whole-class learning.
Ready-to-use classroom activities, handouts and resources for every lesson.
Teacher guidance videos to support the delivery of every lesson.
Outdoor learning opportunities included within many lessons.
Detailed teacher guidance and supporting resources for every lesson.
Resources
Our resources include:
Forms, policies and response packs to support schools with grief, bereavement and loss.
Grief flash cards, including 50 cards with detailed definitions of different types of grief. Ideal for staff training and professional development.
Picture flash cards in both colour and black and white, ideal for whole-class activities, group work and one-to-one support.
Notices, posters, colouring pages and a wide range of additional classroom and staff resources.
Lessons in Loss - Training Modules
Building Grief Literate Schools
The Lessons in Loss® training programme is a CPD-certified series of professional development modules that gives schools the knowledge, confidence and practical strategies to support children and young people through grief, bereavement and significant loss.
Created by former primary headteacher and Grief Recovery Method Specialist Deborah Brown, each module combines educational expertise, reallife case studies and evidence-informed practice to help staff recognise grief, respond effectively and build a compassionate, grief-aware school culture.
Each module includes around one hour of video training, supported by downloadable resources, reflection activities, practical tools and clear guidance for immediate implementation.
Topics include understanding children’s grief, recognising behavioural impacts, supporting bereaved pupils, responding to critical incidents, developing whole-school approaches and empowering children and young people to support one another.
Whether developing your school’s bereavement practice or strengthening existing provision, Lessons in Loss® provides a clear, practical framework to help staff feel confident, prepared and able to make a lasting difference.
Lessons in Loss - Primary Curriculum
Supporting the Statutory RSE Curriculum for Death, Dying, Bereavement and Loss
Grief, loss and change are a normal part of life, yet children are rarely taught how to understand these experiences until something difficult has already happened.
Teaching about grief and loss before a child is directly affected gives them the language to recognise and express their feelings, helps them understand that grief is a normal response to loss and shows them where they can turn to for support.
The Lessons in Loss® Primary Curriculum provides schools with a safe, age-appropriate and progressive way to introduce this learning. Spanning Early Years to Year 6, children explore grief, loss and change through stories, discussion, practical activities and reflection, building their understanding as they move through school.
Recognising that grief extends beyond bereavement, the curriculum explores experiences including family change, separation, friendship difficulties, illness, death and transition. Children are encouraged to develop empathy, compassion, emotional literacy and practical ways of coping with difficult experiences.
Every lesson is fully resourced and designed to be practical and easy to deliver, with teacher guidance, dedicated lesson videos, presentations, classroom activities, printable resources, assessment opportunities and curriculum links.
Schools cannot prevent children from experiencing loss, but they can help them develop the understanding, language and support they need to navigate it. By making grief education part of everyday learning, we can help ensure these important conversations begin before a child is facing one of life's most difficult moments.
Lessons in Loss - Journal Interventions
The Lessons in Loss® Journal Interventions provide structured, child-centred support for children and young people experiencing grief, bereavement and other significant life changes.
Each journal combines creative activities, reflection, discussion and practical coping strategies to help children explore and understand their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Journals can be completed independently, alongside a trusted adult or as part of a planned school intervention.
The series covers a wide range of experiences, including the death of a parent, grandparent or sibling, serious or terminal illness, parental separation, suicide bereavement, pet loss and other significant changes that can affect a child’s emotional wellbeing.
Every journal is accompanied by a dedicated Adult Support Guide, providing practical advice, conversation prompts and guidance to help parents, carers and professionals feel more confident when supporting a child through a difficult time.
Whether used one-to-one, in small groups or alongside the Lessons in Loss® curriculum and CPD training, the journals provide a compassionate and evidence-informed approach to helping children express their feelings, explore their experiences, preserve important memories and develop ways to cope with change and loss.
Together, the journals and Adult Support Guides provide schools with an accessible and meaningful way to offer timely, personalised support when a child needs it most.
