East Midlands funeral firm AW Lymn has partnered with Archway Learning Trust to launch Healing Hearts, a pilot bereavement education programme for schoolchildren.

Archway operates primary, secondary and sixth form academies across Nottingham and Derby. This initiative is the first of its kind in the UK. The Healing Hearts – Navigating Bereavement, Grief and Loss lessons will first be introduced to KS2 (ages 7–11) and KS3 (ages 11–14) pupils at Bluecoat Primary Academy, before being rolled out across all 10 Archway schools. The content, which includes lessons designed to help children understand and talk about grief, was developed in collaboration with AW Lymn.

The pilot follows a national campaign to add bereavement to the national curriculum, led by former NAFD president, John Adams. A petition debated in the House of Commons in December 2024 revealed that the UK has no central register of bereaved children and lacks a standard approach to bereavement education.

Data from Child Bereavement UK, a national charity which helps children, young people and families who are facing bereavement, highlights the scale of childhood loss:

• 46,300 children lose a parent each year – that’s 127 every day.

• 1 in 29 children aged 5–16 have lost a parent or sibling – roughly one per average classroom.

• 6,619 babies and children die each year – more than 18 each day.

Ben Jackson, head of school at Bluecoat Primary Academy and a father to two young children, said: “This pilot draws on extensive parent feedback and staff planning. We’re proud to be leading the way in bereavement education. Supporting children early with age-appropriate lessons on grief will give them the tools to manage life’s most difficult moments.”

Matthew Lynn Rose, MD at AW Lymn and a father of two, said: “Children need support to process grief. These lessons provide a foundation that’s as vital as any life skill.”

Sian Hampton, CEO at Archway Learning Trust, who led the organisation’s partnership with AW Lymn said: “If children can understand the emotions around death, they’ll be better prepared for life. This pilot is a key step, and we’re proud to lead the way, with thanks to AW Lymn for their support in helping us shape a resource for resilient future citizens.”

The Department for Education is currently reviewing whether bereavement education should be included in compulsory relationships education.

AW Lymn MD Matthew Lynn Rose is pictured (second l) with the Bluecoat Primary Academy team (l to r): Katie Kerr, Ben Jackson, Rebecca Laird and Victoria Jones from Archway Learning Trust