Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rachael Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support, and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some. Together with guests from all walks of life, we unpack big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?

We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.

In this episode, we’re joined by Michelle Gibbs, a dedicated teacher at Tolworth Schools, who brings over a decade of hands-on experience to the conversation. Mrs Gibbs shares how knowing each child’s story, creating space for mutual respect, and embedding pastoral care into daily school life can transform the learning environment—and help every child feel seen, heard, and valued.

This conversation is especially timely, as over the summer, the UK government updated the national curriculum to include loss, including bereavement education for primary-aged children. This important change is part of the revised Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, aiming to support emotional literacy and wellbeing from an early age. You can read the official guidance here.

If you work in a primary school and would like to talk to us about this change, we’d love to hear from you: bereavementsupport@pah.org.uk

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond, please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk.

Hosted and produced by Rachael Basak and Sarah Dowd
Produced by Sarah Dowd
Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

📚 Resources:

• trauma-informed-schools.pdf– Young Minds – Trauma Informed Education
• Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning | EEF
• Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education