St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School is an accredited provider of the Rainbows Programme.

Rainbows is designed to support children who have had some form of loss in their lives; this could be through parent separation, a death of a family member or a family member who has had to leave the family home for any other reason. The Rainbows Programme provides a safe setting for children to talk through their feelings with others who are experiencing similar situations. They are helped to articulate their feelings by a trained adult facilitator. The adult facilitators guide the children as they begin to share their experiences, work through their grief, build a stronger sense of self-esteem, and begin to accept what has taken place in the family.

Confidentiality, which is at the heart of all Rainbows Programmes, is kept at all times unless a child or young person is at risk, in which case the school’s safeguarding procedures are followed.

The Rainbows Programme provides age relevant materials which form a structured 12 week programme to assist children. Activity based sessions are run weekly and give children an opportunity to explore their feelings in a safe and supportive environment.

Sunbeams is the most suitable programme for the younger Foundation Stage or Key Stage 1 children and Rainbows is often used for the children who are in Key Stage 2. However, there are times when it is suitable for Year 2 children depending upon the cohort.

For further information about how our Rainbows Programme may help, please do not hesitate to contact the school office or click on the link below.

• To find out more about the rainbows Programme, please go to www.rainbowsgb.org
• Recommended Books on Bereavement by RainbowsGB