Queen Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest reigning monarch and it is only three months since schools around the country were celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. As final preparations for the Queen’s state funeral are being made, here is a round-up of resources that schools can use to reflect on the Queen’s 70 years of service and to help them support young people who may be struggling with the questions and emotions raised by the Queen’s death.

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II

• Twinkle have put together Remembering Queen Elizabeth II resource packs for pupils in EYFS through to KS3 that are free to download.
• Books for Topics has a list of recommended children’s books to help primary pupils learn more about the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
• Children’s Laureate Jospeh Coelho has created a video to encourage children to write a poem as a way to record their memories and emotions at this historic time.
• BBC Bitesize has resources for primary and secondary schools, including a timeline of Queen Elizabeth’s life with BBC archive material to illustrate key moments.
• Explore global reactions to the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II with KS2 and KS3 students using the free Topical Talk resources.

Supporting children and young people

• Booktrust has booklists that explore grief and loss for younger readers and teenagers.
• Books for Topics’ Bereavement and Loss booklist includes books that support children and families to talk and think about the loss of a loved one.
• Scottish Booktrust has a list of 15 picture books exploring grief and loss for the youngest readers.
• The Winston’s Wish website has a range of advice, information and resources to help adults support bereaved children and young people through the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
• Place2Be has shared some advice for parents and teachers to help them support children when somebody famous dies.
• Cruse Bereavement Support has information about how we might experience grief for the Queen.