The past four years has been an incredible period of growth and learning for the Schools of Sanctuary network: our network of local partners has tripled and our network of schools has quadrupled. This means that not only more schools are committed to effectively meeting the needs of new arrivals and playing their part in building a culture of welcome but that this is being actively encouraged and supported across more parts of the UK.
During this time we have also seen wider changes: the arrival of young people from Ukraine, Afghanistan and elsewhere, along with the passing of the Illegal Migration Act and all that entails for young people in the asylum system. More recently, this summer we saw an uptick in racist and xenophobic discourse and violence, which included the targeting of people seeking sanctuary.
Nearly 15 years on since the start of the programme, this year we began work with stakeholders including gathering feedback from awarded schools, collaborating with academic partners to develop research and working with Local Leads and people with lived experience to review our practice.
Following from this, we have reviewed and revised the wording of the Schools of Sanctuary minimum criteria in order to:
- improve clarity of expectations for schools and appraisal team members and;
- re-focus criteria phrasing on impact rather than actions to maximise the positive change we want to see with schools and;
- better align the programme criteria with the City of Sanctuary UK Theory of Change to strengthen the achievement of our vision.
In line with the feedback received, we did not want to change the number of criteria but instead more clearly define our focus around people seeking safety and distinguish between different criteria. Read on for a comparison of the previous and revised wording….
The Revised Criteria
| Previous Wording | Revised Wording (Current) |
|---|---|
| 1) Training and education opportunities are provided for all school staff, management and governors on refugee, asylum and forced migration issues to build general awareness and professional expertise in supporting students from sanctuary seeking backgrounds. | 1) The school raises awareness about the experiences of people seeking safety in the UK amongst all school staff and governors and builds staff expertise to effectively support new arrivals, particularly those seeking safety. |
| 2) Evidence of refugee/asylum/migration learning activities are included into school life and at least one example curricular schemes of work, across each key stage | 2) The school develops learners’ understanding about (forced) migration and the stories and experiences of people seeking sanctuary to foster empathy, including through curricular schemes of work across each age groups/key stage. |
| 3) The school must demonstrate how they develop a culture of welcome in school and effectively meet the needs of students seeking sanctuary. The school should evidence how these efforts will be sustained beyond the initial award – ideally by being linked to the school’s improvement /development plan, made clear in policy documents and new staff induction processes. | 3) The school reviews, improves and embeds school provision and practice to effectively meet the needs of learners from (forced) migration backgrounds* and foster a culture of belonging for all. *If the school doesn’t have learners from (forced) migration backgrounds yet, we expect the school to demonstrate how it would ensure learners are effectively supported as/when they arrive. |
| 4) Recognition of and participation in the annual Refugee Week or other regular celebratory events which highlight the contribution of refugees and migrants to the UK. More information about the annual event can be found here. | 4) The school recognises and participates in Refugee Week and other relevant celebratory events to connect with the wider movement of welcome and stand in solidarity with people seeking safety. |
| 5) Commitment to supporting age-appropriate active pupil voice and leadership on sanctuary and welcome/welcoming activities in the school, including opportunities for students seeking sanctuary to advise the school on how it can be more supportive or welcoming. | 5) The school enables learner voice and leadership of the school’s sanctuary activities and seeks to develop learners as ethically informed changemakers. |
| 6) A public commitment to the City of Sanctuary vision of welcome, including the endorsement of the City of Sanctuary charter which can be done via signing the City of Sanctuary organisation pledge. This pledge should be included on the school’s website and in a public space in the school. NB. Once a school has achieved a sanctuary award, we expect schools to include the Schools of Sanctuary logo and a link to the Schools of Sanctuary web page on their website. | 6) The school proudly shares its commitment to sanctuary in school and with its community by… – Signing the City of Sanctuary UK supporting organisation pledge – Sharing its commitment & how it upholds it with the school community i) in a public space in school, ii) on the website, iii) in other spaces. |
| 7) The school publicly highlights its activities in support of welcome and inclusion and seeks to build a culture of welcome beyond the school gates and in partnership with other organisations and institutions. | 7) The school works collaboratively to extend welcome beyond the school gates to grow or strengthen our movement of welcome and act in solidarity with people seeking safety. |
| 8) Commitment to on-going engagement with and support of the Schools of Sanctuary stream. This may include sharing resources, ideas and achievements with either local or national Schools of Sanctuary networks, connecting and collaborating with other schools in our networks and engaging in the Schools of Sanctuary activities shared in the half-termly newsletter. | 8) The school engages with and supports wider sanctuary networks, including Schools of Sanctuary to enhance and ensure the sustainability of our collective efforts. |
Other things to note:
At the bottom of the application, we have long had a section titled:
‘Please identify how people seeking sanctuary have been involved in helping you achieve these principles’
Moving forward, we are being clearer that a school should demonstrate efforts to ‘co-produce’ this process with students and parent/carers with lived experience. This is in line with City of Sanctuary UK’s values and Theory of Change where we understand that it is not possible to meaningfully develop sanctuary efforts without the voices and contributions of those with lived experience at the heart of shaping and implementing them.
More information and guidance about the Schools of Sanctuary process, revised criteria and how to meet them can be found on our Key Resources page.
The revising of the Schools of Sanctuary minimum criteria is part of an ongoing effort to improve the programme, maximise the impact we have and build up our support for schools and people seeking sanctuary. We hope that members of our network feel these revisions improve clarity and will help drive positive change but very much welcome feedback and reflections.
We will continue to keep our networks updated as these efforts develop and thank you all for your continued engagement and support as we work together to build a culture of understanding and solidarity for people seeking safety.
Warm wishes,
Megan
Schools of Sanctuary Coordinator