Any school can join the Schools of Sanctuary network and, in areas where we have a Local Lead, schools can engage with a rigorous and supportive award process to be formally recognised as a School of Sanctuary. See our Local Lead Network.
If there isn’t currently a Local Lead in your area, by joining the Schools of Sanctuary network you can be the first to know if/when a Local Lead emerges in your area and we will follow up to share all the resources and support we can still offer remotely.
Become a School of Sanctuary
STEP ONE: Join the network
Sign the City of Sanctuary organisational pledge to affirm your commitment to the vision of welcome for all in your school and in the UK more widely. This takes less than two minutes and is one of the eight minimum criteria to become a School of Sanctuary.
We will follow up as soon as we can to introduce you to your Local Lead and other helpful loca; contacts. Your Local Lead will be your main point of contact and oversee your school’s award journey – they may also be able to offer additional support, and local connections and opportunities. Please note that application deadlines and the package of support may differ from area to area so we advise liaising closely with your Local Lead to learn about the local arrangements.
Unlike other school programmes and award schemes, Schools of Sanctuary has no fee but we ask every school pursuing the School of Sanctuary award to make a donation to support our network. We suggest that primary schools donate a minimum of £75, secondary schools donate £105 and independent schools donate £300 on receipt of a successful award – as the award lasts three years, this could be as little as £25 per year of the award!
STEP TWO: Make a plan
Review what your school already has in place or has done to date to meet the award criteria: you may want to use the Schools of Sanctuary audit tool to help you reflect on relevant areas of practice and identify areas for improvement.
Co-production is at the heart of all sanctuary efforts – this means centering the voices and contributions of those directly affected by these issues, people with lived experience of seeking safety. Schools should begin this journey by working with learners and parent/carers with a (forced) migration background to understand what they think are your strengths, how you can develop and how they want to get involved. After this you can begin to put together an action plan for your school’s journey forward making sure this process is reflective, intentional and collaborative.
Use the School of Sanctuary newsletter, the regular mailing list and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for suggestions, helpful resources and upcoming events to support you in your plan and efforts forward.
STEP THREE : Take action
Working across your school and community you can now put your plan into place! Where possible, handover roles and ownership of activities to learners and make sure to involve parent/carers and wider community groups.
As you work towards application, make sure to review the key award resources to learn how to best format your application and organise your evidence portfolio and see examples. Developing your application shouldn’t be a time consuming or painful process – make sure to review these resources to help you pull this together as easily and effectively as possible.
If you can, try to incorporate a fundraiser for Schools for Sanctuary into your plan – every penny raised will help us support our network of schools and ensure that every child, including those seeking safety, feel safe and supported in school.
STEP FOUR: Submit an application
Submit an application and supporting evidence portfolio to your Local Lead. This will be reviewed by an appraisal team, which includes someone with a background in education and someone with lived experience of seeking sanctuary. Typically this is followed by some feedback and then a follow-up visit or meeting to hear from learners, parent/carers and staff. This is an opportunity for you to clarify any queries or questions raised in the feedback about the application.
Please note: we do not accept spontaneous application submissions and many Local Leads also ask for you to submit a draft application in advance of the final deadlines to help you prepare a strong application. Make sure you to liaise closely with your Local Lead to learn about application timelines and expectations.
STEP FIVE: Celebrate!
Shortly after the visit, your Local Lead will be in touch to share the award decision. In some cases, they may ask for additional information or efforts to finalise the award.
Once awarded, share the news on the school website, social media and through local news outlets. We also encourage learners to write to local dignitaries and invite them to an award celebration where they can hear why being a School of Sanctuary is important to your school.
Complete the awarded School of Sanctuary survey to help us understand our impact and learn how we can improve.
Have you made a donation yet? To help secure the future of the programme, we need every school to play their part – especially those who have benefitted from the support and structure of the award scheme. We ask primary schools to donate a minimum of £75, secondary schools donate £105 and independent schools donate £300 on receipt of a successful award. As the award lasts three years, this could be as little as £25 per year of the award – what a bargain!
Make sure to review your application feedback and continue to engage and share your activities in preparation for reaccreditation after three years.