There is a lot of momentum around the Schools of Sanctuary work in Newcastle and it is brilliant to see lots of schools interested in the work and getting involved.
You can find out more about Schools of Sanctuary and how to get involved, including a whole load of resources to help you on your journey here.
You can also hear from children who are pupils of recognised Schools of Sanctuary about what this means and why this is important to them here:
"If we can do this, we can do anything"
Being a School of Sanctuary is a really big deal. But don't take our word for it, listen to these kids…
These students are all at schools in Newcastle – these fantastic schools all recently received their School of Sanctuary award🥳🧡👏 pic.twitter.com/xeOquX9XtO
— City of Sanctuary UK 🧡 (@CityofSanctuary) October 18, 2022
How to get involved:
For schools that want to get involved there is timetable of training sessions and events planned for the 2022/23 academic year. There are also fortnightly Q&A drop-ins throughout the year where you can find out more about Schools of Sanctuary and how to get involved, as well as ask questions and get support with your application. You can find the full timetable of events here.
Work of the existing schools of sanctuary as well as those working towards their awards have looked at a variety of things as part of the process, including looking at their existing curriculum and weaving in themes relating to refugees and forced displacement; looking at the school library and having an area dedicated to books about refugees, asylum seekers and human rights; making resources available to staff e.g. a Schools of Sanctuary Folder; school staff completing the Newcastle City of Sanctuary training module and building in learning about refugees and asylum seekers into staff inductions and ongoing training. There has also been thought given to how the schools support new arrivals with schemes set up such as EAL buddies for new arrivals who have English as an additional language, Language of the Month and Parent English Classes.
Schools of Sanctuary awards in Newcastle:
We are extremely proud of all of the schools who go above and beyond to welcome people seeking sanctuary, this includes:
Central Walker Primary School
Christ Church CE Primary School
Our Lady and St Annes Catholic Primary School
St Catherines Catholic Primary School
St Michael’s RC Primary School
Walkergate Primary School
West Walker Primary School
Here is a quote from one of the Newcastle schools: “We are thrilled with the award but even more so with the knowledge and understanding we have gained throughout the application process. Our Senior Leadership Team have used this period of reflection to further improve the offer we give to our most vulnerable pupils and have felt encouraged and supported.”
More information – these will give you brilliant updates, ideas and resources:
Sign up to Schools of Sanctuary mailing list here
Subscribe to Schools of Sanctuary Newsletter
Follow Schools of Sanctuary on Twitter & Facebook
Watch Event recordings
Attend upcoming events
Complete/share with staff the Online training module to get a simple overview of migration and support available in Newcastle
Organisations that can support your school with training and awareness raising sessions for staff and pupils:
Red Cross Empathy and Migration sessions for pupils
West End Refugee Service awareness raising sessions for staff and pupils