RSHE 2026 Statutory RequirementYoung Hearts Bereavement Training
Supporting children and young people through grief — and equipping your staff to meet the new RSHE 2026 statutory requirement, across Key Stages 1 to 4.
RSHE 2026 Statutory Requirement
From 1st September 2026, every maintained school, academy, and free school in England must deliver grief and bereavement education as part of the revised RSHE statutory guidance (DfE, July 2025). Young Hearts equips your staff to meet this requirement across Key Stages 1 to 4.
The New Statutory Duty
Is Your School Ready for September 2026?
The Department for Education's revised RSHE guidance makes grief and bereavement education mandatory for the first time in the history of the national curriculum. Every school must now ensure staff are equipped to teach children that grief is a natural human response, that everyone experiences it differently, and how to access support. Young Hearts provides the CPD-accredited training your team needs — with curriculum alignment built in.
School-age children are bereaved of a parent or sibling — roughly one child in every classroom
Source: Childhood Bereavement Network
Dependent children lose a parent every year — 127 newly bereaved children every single day
Source: Child Bereavement UK
Of 11–18s named coping with bereavement the top topic they wanted to learn about in PSHE
Source: Ofsted
Of DfE consultation respondents supported grief education in the statutory curriculum
Source: DfE Consultation
Without proper support, grief can lead to behavioural challenges, difficulties concentrating, falling grades, and long-term emotional difficulties. The adults around a bereaved child make an enormous difference — and Young Hearts ensures yours are ready.
Happening Right Now
Children Bereaved Today
Live counters based on childhood bereavement data. Resets at midnight.
Why It Matters
Why Schools Need This
Academic Impact
Grief affects concentration, memory, and emotional regulation. Without support, bereaved children fall behind academically and may never recover lost ground.
Safeguarding Responsibility
Grief can make children vulnerable. Schools have a duty of care to recognise the signs and provide appropriate support as part of their safeguarding framework.
Emotional Wellbeing
Children need safe spaces to express their grief. Schools that provide this see improved attendance, behaviour, and peer relationships.
Whole-School Culture
When staff feel confident supporting bereaved children, the entire school culture shifts. Compassion becomes embedded, not reactive.
Curriculum Alignment
How Young Hearts Maps to the RSHE 2026 Requirements
Young Hearts is designed to align directly with the DfE's statutory content areas for grief and bereavement education.
Grief is a natural response to loss
Core module: understanding the grieving process across development stages
KS1 – KS4Everyone grieves differently
Practical frameworks for individual grief responses; emotional literacy tools
KS1 – KS4Change and loss, including bereavement
Developmental understanding of death, loss and change across age groups
KS1 – KS2 focusAccessing trusted adults and support services
Signposting frameworks, referral pathways, 24/7 helpline access
KS1 – KS4Cultural and faith diversity in mourning
Cultural competency module; inclusive practice guidance
KS2 – KS4Staff and peer support skills
Skills for supporting bereaved colleagues and pupils; policy development
Secondary focusThe Programme
What Your Staff Will Gain
A 6-hour CPD-accredited programme delivered by specialists with extensive experience in child bereavement. Participants leave with:
Knowledge & Skills
- Expert-led understanding of how grief manifests at different ages and developmental stages
- Practical tools and frameworks for responding with empathy in the short and long term
- Strategies for working with bereaved families and managing sensitive communications
- Confidence to embed bereavement conversations into curriculum and pastoral practice
- Knowledge of referral pathways and signposting to professional support services
- Guidance on developing or strengthening your school's bereavement policy
Resources & Support
- Accredited CPD certificate demonstrating statutory compliance readiness
- Resource pack for use within your setting, including factsheets and activity guides
- Access to the Members Area with videos, webinars, podcasts, and updated resources
- 24/7 professional helpline for ongoing guidance after training
- Annual accreditation renewal with updated resources as guidance evolves
- Policy template tailored to your school's needs
Audience
Who Is This Training For?
Young Hearts is suitable for all staff working in primary and secondary settings, including:
Practical Information
Training Details
6 hours (full day, or split across two sessions by arrangement)
5–15 attendees per session
In-person or virtual (video call)
Resource packs, CPD certificates, and access to online resources
CPD-accredited; annual renewal includes updated resources and helpline access
Accredited by Incensu, the National Register of Education Suppliers
Booking now for summer and autumn 2026 — limited dates before September
Training can be delivered in-person or online. Bespoke packages are available for whole-staff training days.
Young Hearts SEND Bereavement Training
Inclusive, specialist support for grieving children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities — aligned to the RSHE 2026 statutory requirements.
The September 2026 requirement applies across all settings and Key Stages — including specialist settings, SEN units, and schools supporting pupils with SEND. Children with SEND often experience grief differently, communicate loss in unique ways, and may face additional barriers to accessing support. Young Hearts SEND is built specifically for these contexts.
The Scale of Need
An Often-Overlooked Crisis in SEND
Children with SEND in the UK are estimated to have been bereaved of a parent
Source: Estimated, UK
SEND children are more likely to experience the death of peers and friends due to life-limiting conditions
Source: Sector evidence
Misunderstandings about SEND pupils' ability to comprehend loss lead to inadequate or absent support
Source: Sector evidence
School-age children bereaved of a parent or sibling — in SEND settings, additional losses compound this
Source: Childhood Bereavement Network
Curriculum Alignment
RSHE 2026 Compliance for SEND Settings
Young Hearts SEND directly addresses the DfE's statutory requirements with provision specifically adapted for pupils with diverse learning, communication, and emotional profiles.
Grief is a natural response; everyone grieves differently
Adapted grief frameworks for diverse cognitive and communication profiles
Communication-accessible tools for all learning levelsChange and loss, including bereavement
SEND-specific understanding of death and loss, including loss of peers with life-limiting conditions
Addresses unique grief triggers in SEND settingsAccessing trusted adults and support services
Strategies for helping SEND pupils identify and access support; family liaison guidance
Removes communication barriers to seeking helpInclusive, culturally responsive practice
Inclusive practice module; tools respecting neurodiversity, culture, and faith
Whole-school inclusive bereavement policy developmentThe Programme
What Your Staff Will Gain
A specialist 6-hour CPD-accredited programme delivered by professionals with dual expertise in bereavement support and special educational needs. Participants leave with:
Knowledge & Skills
- In-depth understanding of how children with SEND comprehend death based on their cognitive, social, and emotional profiles
- Communication strategies to support diverse learning needs and remove barriers to bereavement care
- Practical activities providing safe outlets for grief, adapted for different ability levels
- Knowledge of additional grief triggers specific to SEND settings, including loss of peers
- Frameworks for involving and supporting families of bereaved SEND pupils
- Guidance on developing an inclusive bereavement policy for your setting
Resources & Support
- CPD accreditation certificate demonstrating compliance with RSHE 2026 requirements
- SEND-specific resource pack including factsheets, templates, and activity guides
- Access to the Members Area with videos, webinars, policy templates, and updated resources
- Regular support meetings and monthly legislative update newsletters
- 24/7 professional helpline for guidance after training
- Annual renewal with resources updated as guidance evolves
Audience
Who Is This Training For?
Young Hearts SEND is designed for all professionals working with children and young people with SEND, including:
Practical Information
Training Details
6 hours (full day, or split across two sessions by arrangement)
5–15 attendees per session
In-person or virtual (video call)
SEND-specific resource packs, CPD certificates, and access to online resources
CPD-accredited; annual renewal includes updated resources and helpline access
Accredited by Incensu, the National Register of Education Suppliers
Booking now for summer and autumn 2026 — limited dates before September
Training can be delivered in-person or online. Bespoke packages are available for whole-staff training days and multi-agency teams.
Whole-School Compliance
Two Products, One Provider
Young Hearts SEND sits alongside our mainstream Young Hearts Bereavement Training, giving schools the ability to meet RSHE 2026 requirements across their entire staffing structure — mainstream teachers, SEND specialists, and support staff — through a single trusted provider.
Ask about our combined Young Hearts + Young Hearts SEND packages for whole-school training days.
Every Child Grieves Differently
There's no "right way" for a child to grieve. Some become quiet, others angry. Some regress, others mature overnight. Some grieve immediately, others years later.
Our training teaches you to recognise the many faces of childhood grief and respond with confidence, compassion, and clarity.
How Grief-Ready Is Your School?
Take the Young Hearts Bereavement Readiness Assessment — a free, 7-section tool that helps you understand where your school stands and what steps to take next.
Don't Wait — September 2026 Is Closer Than You Think
Demand for RSHE-aligned bereavement training is rising sharply, and specialist SEND provision is in even shorter supply. We recommend booking now to secure your preferred date.