A leading suicide prevention charity has launched a new set of free resources to help schools and colleges deliver lessons in life.
Based on a powerful, award-winning animation made for Warrington-based PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, Sinking Feeling explores loneliness and isolation and the importance of peer support in helping children and young people who are struggling with life.
The launch of the resources follows new Department for Education guidance announced in July, which means schools in England need to begin planning for the introduction of suicide prevention in the classroom by September 2026.
PAPYRUS says the Sinking Feeling School Resource will equip teaching staff, the growing number of Education Mental Health Practitioners, pastoral leads, teaching assistants and safeguarding leads to be able to tackle difficult subjects in a positive and supportive way.
The charity’s Chief Executive, Ged Flynn, says the resources are built on a solid foundation of having worked in schools across the UK for many years.
He said: “Schools offer unparalleled reach to our children and over the coming months they will need to begin to embed suicide prevention within their priorities.
“We know from working closely with schools that many staff recognise the importance of addressing mental health, emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. However, without sufficient background knowledge and an understanding of the complexities, they can find it challenging and daunting to deliver.
“The new resources will enhance our charity’s offer to schools, helping to remove some of the obstacles to having helpful, supportive conversations so our children and young people will begin to understand what they are feeling, know they are not alone and how to get the professional help they need and deserve.”
The resources are tailored to be delivered in an age-appropriate way from Year 6 to Year 13.
Children begin by watching the Sinking Feeling animation. Wellbeing and mental health is then sensitively explored with worksheets, class discussions, exploring myths and facts and mindfulness activities.
Older students go on to consider language around suicide, recognising the signs that someone may be struggling, coping strategies and how to reach out for support.
Ged Flynn added: “We know our children have been talking to one another about suicide in the playground but those conversations have not continued in the classroom.
“We are delighted that going forward, children aged 10 or 11 will begin to be taught life-skills which they will be able to use to protect themselves and those around them.”
The Sinking Feeling School Resource has been developed to support Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and is a simple, step-by-step guide to understanding that emotions can be complicated and confusing. This leads to a realisation that overwhelming emotions can contribute to poor mental health, which is explained and defined by using simple, easy to understand words.
Lesson plans, PowerPoint slides and printable resources are also included.
The resource is free-of-charge providing education staff or other professionals who work with children and young people have undertaken PAPYRUS’ Suicide Prevention Explore, Ask and Keep Safe (SPEAK) training or the LivingWorks’ Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) programme.
The resources will initially be offered in England, with rollout across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales expected in 2026
For more details about what the licence will include and to register please go to: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/sinkingfeeling
To watch the powerful Sinking Feeling animation visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKU1OLrvOn4
