Read on to learn more about and access a free self-guided CPD you can use in school to help staff review promising provision and practice that can ensure children seeking safety are effectively supported and included in education.
Hello. My name is Mary-Rose, I’m a Research Fellow in the Institute for Community Research and Development at the University of Wolverhampton and have also worked for several years voluntarily as an Asylum Guide at Brushstrokes charity in Sandwell. My practice-based background is in ESOL and family literacy for parents/carers and families from refugee and newly arrived backgrounds and I later followed this with my PhD studies focused on family literacy practices in the voluntary sector from the perspectives of newly arrived mothers. Before I introduce the ‘Waiting for School’ project in full, I want to share a bit of contextual background.
Aligned to Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) regarding a child’s right to education, it is enshrined in UK legislation and policy that all children in the UK, whatever their migration status, are entitled to a school place. Local education authorities (LEA) in the UK have a legal responsibility to ensure that every child of compulsory school age has access to education that is appropriate to their age, ability and any special education needs (UNICEF, 2018).
UNICEF’s 2017-2018 report on access to education for children from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds refers to UK standards as high in the global context. The report cites examples of effective practice in supporting access to education and a 20-day target for all LEAs in England to find children from newly backgrounds a school place: a target that improves on the global target of three months recommended to governments by the Global Compact on Refugees (UNICEF, 2018). However, the report also highlights issues with the right to access education not being implemented consistently across regions of the UK and barriers to educational access at systemic, institutional, and contextual levels such as teachers at times feeling they are struggling to adequately support children newly arrived to school who are living in hotels and temporary accommodation settings (Gladwell & Chetwynd, 2018).
In 2022 I received an award from the British Council to explore English language teaching provision for newly arrived children and young people (CYP). In the ‘Waiting for School’ project I wanted to work in a participatory, co-produced way to foreground the expertise of diverse professionals who were involved in supporting newly arrived CYP in schools, hotels and in local charities. I recognised that due to the complexity of the issues facing newly arrived families it was essential to look at this from a cross-sector, multi-agency perspective. I wanted the project to work towards a cross-sector approach to sharing both gaps and best practices.
As such, the project (completed at the end of 2024) brings together the experiences of professionals working across the schools’ sector, voluntary sector, and three city councils in the West Midlands region of the UK, involving all professionals in decision-making regarding the development of professional practice in this area. Through this process the professionals co-produced a resource pack which contains spotlights of best practice, as well as informative presentations to develop knowledge around challenges that newly arrived CYP and families face, such as having the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition.
The CPD training comprises a short presentation for schools to use independently or for Schools of Sanctuary leads to use. It is designed to last one hour and includes 8 slides which start with a brief overview of the project, followed by three activities to engage with the ‘key recommendations’ and ‘key takeaways’. Finally, there is an invitation to share best practice happening across your schools as I am very keen to keep this important conversation alive and to cultivate a wider sharing of best practice across the UK Schools of Sanctuary network.
CPD Resources
Download and use the powerpoint and handout to deliver the Waiting for School CPD workshop in school.
Any questions or feedback? Contact Mary-Rose.