148 - A conversation with Alka Townend about Bereavement in Schools: How to Support Children and Teachers

Join the conversation with Alka Townend as she delves into how educators can address grief and loss in the classroom. Learn about the ways in which grief might manifest in children and understand why it is crucial for every teacher to have some knowledge around loss in childhood. Discover practical strategies, including bibliotherapy, and book recommendations, to support students through difficult times like bereavement, divorce, or migration. Alka will share her insights linked to research and her training as a bereavement counsellor. She will highlight the significant role that school communities hold in nurturing a compassionate and inclusive classroom environment and how international educators and school leaders can facilitate this. About Alka Townend Alka is an Assistant Professor in Education and EDI Director based at the University of Sussex. Prior to this she gained many years of experience working within different London universities as a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for BA undergraduate and post-graduate education courses. Alka’s subject expertise resides in English and Drama and she enjoys opportunities to be a guest speaker at various national and international conferences including the UKLA, NATE, ICET and ELSA. Alka was also recently invited to a conference in India to share her insights and knowledge related to the use of oracy as an effective pedagogical strategy for learning and assessment in the classroom. Alka has a particular passion for children’s literature and how stories can be utilised as a learning tool and support strategy across a range of ages. Alka’s research area is focused on childhood bereavement and how grieving pupils might be supported in their school communities. To inform this work, Alka trained as a bereavement counsellor for a national UK charity and specialises in supporting children and young people. Alka also provides educational consultancy services and recently provided support for a government funded project aimed at supporting young people in managing challenging life experiences related to different forms of loss. This year. Alka has been invited to present her research and bereavement CPD at various educational conferences including Paris, Cologne and Toulouse. Alka is passionate about teachers being provided with the appropriate skills to support loss in the classroom and has recently embedded this training across all aspects of teacher education at her university. Alka is currently the Director for Equality Diversity and Inclusion within her faculty. She recently organised a research event focused on ethnic representation in children’s literature. She is also the national co-chair for ARTEN (the anti-racist teacher educator network). Alka’s background experience was gained in primary teaching, and she spent many years working in both state and independent schools in England as a teacher and senior leader.  One of Alka’s proudest achievements was when she became the Winner of Sussex Extra Mile Award (given to staff who have shown extraordinary commitment and compassion towards their students). Alka Townend on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alka-townend-mres-ed-ba-hons-qts-0bb005106/  Resources Articles for review which have open access:  Childhood bereavement: The role of school leadership in developing inclusive learning environments : My College

Let’s talk about death: All children in England should receive grief education at school | PolicyBristol | University of Bristol

 

Available as downloadable reports

Research into childhood bereavement and the British school system

Vol. 2 (2023): Bereavement: Journal of grief and responses to death | Bereavement

Recommended literature resources for the classroom:

Books and resources for bereaved children up to 11 years old | Child Bereavement UK

Best children's books - Bereavement, Grief & Loss

Grief and Loss (teen) | BookTrust

 

UK Charity Support: (useful open access resources)

Winston's Wish: Winston's Wish - giving hope to grieving children

CB UK: Child Bereavement UK

Cruse: Home - Cruse Bereavement Support

Grief Encounter: Home SUPPORTING BEREAVED CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE - Grief Encounter

Different Countries have all types of bereavement support - some sparse and some vast!  A quick google will guide your listeners.  But for starters, I have included the following outside of the UK. 

 

USA

NACG

History | Rainbows for All Children

 

Sweden

About grief - Efterlevandeguiden

 

Denmark

About us - Det Nationale Sorgcenter

 

John Mikton on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmikton/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmikton

Web: beyonddigital.org

 

Dan Taylor on social media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appsevents 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/appdkt 

Web: www.appsevents.com

 

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