Academy is first to have lessons on death to help children grieve

'SCARY TOPIC' IS AS IMPORTANT AS TEACHING YOUNGSTERS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

"WE can't hide death away from children - everyone will experience it at some point.

A Nottingham primary school has started running lessons about death in the hope of teaching pupils how to cope with grief.

Bluecoat Primary Academy in Beechdale has become the first school in the UK to run "grieving lessons" for children as part of its curriculum. Created with local funeral directors AW Lymn, the classes are intended support young people who may be experiencing bereavement and prepare others who will have to deal with it in later life.

The lessons come amid a country-wide campaign to teach children about death as part of the compulsory national curriculum - meaning that all schools will be required to include the subject into their teaching - in a similar fashion to how sex education is taught.

But how do you teach children about death and is it even the right thing to do?

Bluecoat year five teacher Rebecca Laird says it's important pupils learn about death and coping mechanisms early so they know how to properly grieve down the line.