As we reflect on the highs and lows of the 2023/24 school year, our annual impact report makes clear the vital role Schools of Sanctuary can play in building a culture of welcome in schools – and far beyond.

Some of our big wins…

• We awarded more than 100 schools in the past year – that’s 600 schools across the UK who have now received a School of Sanctuary Award, with 468 more schools working towards this recognition.
• We now have Local Leads in 54 parts of the UK – this means that in more areas than ever, schools can access trained and supported local partners who have a nuanced understanding of their local context and can help connect schools to local opportunities and potential collaborators.
• Our annual evaluation shows a strong positive impact on improving school provision and practice, building understanding and empathy amongst learners and fostering school cultures of belonging; as well as helping schools build meaningful connections in their local areas to stand in solidarity with people seeking safety
• Schools of Sanctuary was recognised as one of 29 global ‘promising practices in refugee education’ by a panel of experts from the UNHCR, Refugee REACH Refugee REACH at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Qatar Foundation International (QFI), Save the Children, Sirius, Refugee Education UK and the University of Nottingham. 
• Schools and settings in our networks have also been identified as good practice case studies in research into Early Childhood Education and Childcare for Children Seeking Safety (UNICEF and Refugee Education UK) and Education for Late Arrival Refugee Youth (The Bell Foundation and Refugee Education UK).
• One of our schools featured in BBC coverage sharing their inspiring efforts to support community sponsorships efforts and help resettle a refugee family in their local area.

Read the full impact report now.

Our schools are inspiring – and are needed now more than ever. 

With the awful far-right violence at the start of the summer, the measurable, positive changes in students’ attitudes and school cultures that the Schools of Sanctuary programme drives is central to building safer, kinder schools and communities. 

For children seeking safety, these changes alongside school practice and provision that better meets their needs will help them work towards a more hopeful future in which they can achieve their full potential.

Despite the clear need for Schools of Sanctuary, this year we have also faced a number of specific challenges:

• At the start of the year, Schools of Sanctuary was targeted by GB News and Nigel Farage who criticised our approach to building empathy and kindness by helping children hear the stories of people seeking safety in our communities. In the current divisive climate, we know many schools and teachers fear talking about people seeking sanctuary and welcome due to potential backlash and criticism – and yet, to challenge misinformation, bridge divides and build welcoming cultures this is so vital.
• With unprecedented interest over the past few years, in February we were forced to close award processes for new schools in areas without a Local Lead. This means only schools in areas where we have a Local Lead can achieve the School of Sanctuary award. At the same time, we have been forced to pause recruiting and onboarding new Local leads to ensure we can continue to provide meaningful oversight and support to our Local Lead network. Unfortunately, without additional capacity, this limits our potential to grow our network of welcoming.

Our engagement with schools has quadrupled in the past four years – but our tiny team hasn’t.

Unlike most school programmes and award schemes, we are doing all we can to keep the Schools of Sanctuary award and all the resources and support we offer completely free and accessible for every school, but this is becoming increasingly difficult and is limiting our ability to grow our networks further. 

We are relying on the schools and supporters in our network to chip-in to help us sustain and hopefully grow this important work.

Donate now to ensure more schools can become Schools of Sanctuary.

Every donation helps us work towards a kinder, more compassionate future – for all of us. 

In solidarity,
Megan Greenwood, 

Schools of Sanctuary Coordinator