Supporting Bereaved Children: Harry's Rainbow

Marie-Claire Parsons is the project lead for Harry's Rainbow, a charity that support bereaved children in Milton Keynes. She has 30 years experience in schools culminating in founding a 6 school federation and being the executive headteacher. Marie-Claire has been a family liaison officer, education lead and beneficiary lead for the charity. She has just completed leading on an art project where 15 young people explored their grief through graffiti, entitled 'Grieffiti'! Harry's Rainbow offer activity based support groups to children bereaved of a parent or sibling, set up by Odette Mould MBE almost 15 years ago after the death of her son, Harry. Takeaways: Harry's Rainbow is a charity that provides vital support to bereaved children in Milton Keynes, having been established nearly 15 years ago following the tragic loss of a child. The charity organizes various support groups, which are activity-based, catering to children from ages 1 to 25, thereby fostering a sense of community among grieving families. Through collaborative artistic projects, bereaved children are encouraged to express their grief and emotions in creative ways, helping them to process their experiences. Understanding that grief is not linear is essential; people may experience a myriad of emotions simultaneously, which underscores the importance of having sensitive support structures in place. The role of educational institutions in recognizing and addressing bereavement among students is crucial, as ongoing support can significantly impact a child's ability to cope with loss. An urgent need exists for schools to implement bereavement policies and support systems that acknowledge the unique challenges faced by bereaved children and their families. Chapters: 00:02 - Introduction to Harry's Rainbow 08:09 - The Importance of Discussing Grief and Bereavement 12:48 - The Importance of Support in Grief 14:06 - Understanding Grief and Its Impact on Life 24:54 - Understanding Bereavement in Schools 34:13 - Supporting Children Through Grief and Loss 44:31 - Understanding Grief and Support 45:39 - The Stages of Grief: A Reassessment Show Sponsor – National Association for Primary Education (NAPE) Find out more about their Primary First Journal: 🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire and get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources you can use to support learning 🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities

You can listen to Supporting Bereaved Children: Harry's Rainbow online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Supporting Bereaved Children: Harry's Rainbow is an episode from Education On Fire - Sharing creative and inspiring learning in our schools by Mark Taylor.

This episode is 51:40 long.

This episode was published on Jan 5, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Education On Fire - Sharing creative and inspiring learning in our schools when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.