To fulfill criterion 1 (training and education opportunities are provided for school staff and management on refugee, asylum and forced migration issues), schools must show how a) staff have been able to develop their own awareness of refugee, asylum & migration issues generally and b) how staff have been given opportunities to develop their professional expertise in meeting the needs of students from sanctuary seeking backgrounds.
The suggestions outlined below are not definitive and it is not necessary for schools to complete every suggested training in order to be recognised. Instead, consider which themes/ topics are most relevant for which members of staff and in which areas it is most necessary for the staff in your school to develop.
A) Learning about refugee and asylum issues
- Contact your local refugee support organisation to see if they can visit your school to explain to staff about the work they do & the challenges the people they work with experience
- Reflect on what areas your staff need to develop their understanding: facts, figures and terminology; rights and entitlements of people seeking sanctuary in the UK; your local migration contexts; recent changes in UK immigration policy and how this will affect sanctuary seeking families; the diversity of sanctuary seeking experiences. Assign a member of staff to research and present in weekly/ monthly/ half-termly staff meetings and/or share an update in staff communications.
B) CPD Trainings/ Resources to Develop Professional Expertise
General Trainings/ Information
- Your Local Education Authority – Many LEAs offer free or subsidised trainings around relevant themes, we encourage you getting in touch with them to find out what they can offer.
- Government (England) guidance on handling applications from overseas children
- Scottish government policy on refugees and asylum seekers, including a section on education.
- Welsh government policy on refugees and asylum seekers, including a section on education.
Supporting Students Seeking Sanctuary in School
- Refugee Education UK – Training in supporting new refugee students in school; and training for careers/admissions staff relating to accessing FE and HE for students from sanctuary seeking backgrounds.
- Future Learn – Migrants and Refugees in Education: A toolkit for teachers
- Future Learn – Caring for Children Moving Alone: Protecting Unaccompanied and Separated Children
- Improving Education for Refugee Background Students: Research Findings – A report that looks at students’ aspirations and barriers to learning, including mental health issues and has suggestions for improving practice. University of Sussex’s Centre for International Education.
- UNICEF – Education for Refugee and Asylum Seeking Children: Access and Equality in England, Scotland and Wales (2018).
- UNHCR – Including Refugees in Your Classroom. Guidance related to language acquisition & stress and trauma.
- Amnesty International, Refugee Council & Save the Children – Without My Family: The impact of family separation on child refugees in the UK.
- The National Education Union Toolkit for teachers and governors – Guidance outlining statutory duties under the 2010 Equality Act in England and Wales, accompanied by a guide, Welcoming refugee children to your school.
- Joanna McIntyre & Fran Abrams: Refugee Education, Theorising Practice in Schools. A comprehensive book to help understand approaches to the schooling of young people seeking sanctuary with case studies.
Teaching about Refugees/ Migration
- UNHCR – Teaching about Refugees
- Migration Museum – Training and supporting resources to help you teach about migration and identify opportunities to do so within the (English) curriculum.
EAL
- Bell Foundation – A wide range of relevant training opportunities, including free webinars and supporting resources.
- NALDIC – The National Subject Association for EAL hosts annual conferences, in addition to regional and thematic interest group meetings, and publishes termly journals aimed at developing expertise of supporting learners with EAL in school.
Antiracism / Combatting hate
- NEU – Antiracist charter: a helpful guide and framework to drive school self-reflection and learning & then take action.
- Hope Not Hate – Training on a number of topics related to combatting hate, including how to deliver lessons on these themes in schools, unconscious bias & spotting hate. Workshops also available for students.
Mental Health/ Wellbeing
- Anna Freud Centre – Trainings on different themes relating to wellbeing, including supporting students affected by trauma, enabling parent/carer engagement and safeguarding staff wellbeing.
- International Rescue Committee – Healing Classrooms Programme: Training and associated resources to help schools’ develop their practice and provision in support of students with refugee backgrounds.
- Kazzum Arts – Trauma informed trainings.