We are a School of Sanctuary

We have been recognised for our commitment to being a safe and welcoming place for all, especially those seeking sanctuary. We have also been recognised for our outstanding provision and the hard work that many staff and departments have done over the years for refugees, unaccompanied asylum seeking children and our most vulnerable students.

A School of Sanctuary is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all, especially those seeking sanctuary. This could be people whose lives were in danger in their own country, who have troubles at home or are just looking for a space of safety. A School of Sanctuary helps its students, staff and wider community understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary and to extend a welcome to everyone as equal, valued members of the school community. It is a school that is proud to be a place of safety and inclusion for all.

Why is a School of Sanctuary important?

• We have a sense of safety and inclusion for all
• We have developed understanding of what it means to seek sanctuary. Dispelling negative myths
• We provide learning opportunities around human rights, social justice, diversity and interdependence
• We strengthen race equality and community cohesion work
• We increase student voice and promote active citizenship

Below is some key information we need to be aware of in order for us to be a School of Sanctuary.

Refugee – a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Asylum seeker– a person who has left their home country as a political refugee and is seeking asylum in another.

Migrant– a person who moves from one place to another in order to find work or better living conditions.

Immigrant– a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

Why do people become refugees? Religious/national/social/racial/political persecution, war, gender/sexual orientation, hunger and climate change.

What can we all do to create a more welcoming school for everyone?

• Ensure students show respect for all people and their basic human rights – including the right of everyone to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
• We can show an interest and be friendly to new comers.
• We can ask students who are learning English if they would like to work on homework together.

Article 22 (refugee children) – If a child is seeking refuge or has refugee status, governments must provide them with appropriate protection and assistance to help them enjoy all the rights in the Convention. Governments must help refugee children who are separated from their parents to be reunited with them.

For more information please visit: https://schools.cityofsanctuary.org/

Pictures from our School of Sanctuary events: