What is the School of Sanctuary Award?

Becoming an awarded School of Sanctuary means a school is committed to making every child and family feels welcomed, safe and is supported to thrive.

The School of Sanctuary programme is voluntary and self-led by the school. We provide resources and guidance to help school leaders and teachers to review and refine their practice towards building a culture of safety, understanding and belonging. This involves schools thinking about the way they welcome and support new arrivals, understanding the challenges they might be facing at home and how they can support them, and making sure every child feels valued and represented in school and that every parent/carer can be involved in their child’s school life. It’s also about working with others in their community to help connect the dots in gaps in support so that every child gets the best start in life.

From English language support and trauma-informed care to buddy systems and welcome packs for new learners, the Schools of Sanctuary programme helps educators think about the small actions they can take to have a big impact on how a child feels and thrives in schools.

The flexible framework means that schools themselves determine what activities and efforts they develop. The schools and the incredible teachers within them are the professionals and know their learners and local context best – the School of Sanctuary Award helps them think all of this through and discuss with other educators and experts across the UK to help them move forward.

The full award procedure and criteria can be found here.

How is the School of Sanctuary Award delivered?

The Schools of Sanctuary Award is delivered by a network of trained, supported and licenced local partners across the UK. This includes City of Sanctuary groups, other refugee organisations and local authorities.

For many of our local partners, Schools of Sanctuary offers a framework and access to resources and support that enhances the existing work they do. For those in councils, their work is typically around ensuring the schools in their area are equipped to effectively support vulnerable or marginalised learners – the Schools of Sanctuary award ensures the schools in their area take a holistic approach that involved and benefits everyone in school, whilst celebrating the efforts of schools that go above and beyond.

We do not charge local partners for joining the network – only ask for their regular communication and engagement and in exchange we offer a wealth of training, resources, networking and unique learning opportunities.

What is City of Sanctuary’s political stance?

We are a registered charity and therefore apolitical. Our primary focus is the dignity and humanity of individuals seeking safety and the creation of a kinder, more compassionate society – not the politics surrounding immigration policies.

Schools are required to prepare children for life in modern Britain; teaching them about the society and world they grow up in and fostering active citizenship skills. Forced migration is a significant global phenomenon widely discussed in the media and public discourse: the Schools of Sanctuary programme supports schools to talk factually about the different reasons people may have been forced to flee and their experiences arriving in the UK in order to build understanding and reinforce our shared values. We do not promote a political perspective – in an increasingly divided climate, we only encourage schools to lead with kindness and compassion. The Schools of Sanctuary programme does not ask for schools to judge the claims of people seeking sanctuary – simply hear their stories and lead with humanity.

For many of the children at the schools in our networks, stories of fleeing their country are not abstract but are also their own. With recent events in Ukraine and Afghanistan, vulnerable children have joined schools across the UK, with many of these schools having never supported refugee children before. The Schools of Sanctuary programme not only helps these schools to understand the challenges refugee children might be experiencing and support them to thrive but ensures that these children’s experiences are recognised and represented.

How do we ensure the safety of children in Schools of Sanctuary?

Schools have a legal responsibility to ensure they are a safe place for children, and to have policies and procedures in place to guarantee their welfare. They should work to ensure every child’s needs are met and no child is treated more favorably than another.

We encourage and support schools to adopt rigorous safeguarding practices that recognise the diverse needs and challenges facing their learners, including children seeking safety and to ensure steps are take to safeguard their safety and wellbeing.

We equally support and expect our local partners to have a relevant and comprehensive safeguarding policy in place that covers the involvement of local partners and those working with them in Schools of Sanctuary and engagement with schools in this capacity.

How does the School of Sanctuary award benefit everyone?

The improvements schools make through this process – such as improving admissions processes, ensuring every child feels valued and represented in school, and strengthening relationships with parent/carers helps to support every child. When schools can understand and meet the needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, every child and family can benefit.

How is this work funded?

We’re working hard to keep all the support, guidance and resources to schools completely free. We currently depend on the support of a small number of funders. We ask schools in our network to offer a donation on receipt of the award and support the Schools of Sanctuary network by fundraising for us and helping us to support and grow our network of welcoming schools.