Good practice in schools

This page provides good practice advice to schools on how best to serve refugee children.

Admission and induction

For refugee children, going to a new school means stability and a new start. The school should therefore be as welcoming and safe an environment as possible. A warm welcome and a good induction to school can support new arrivals as much as good quality teaching. Simple things like providing a map of the school or nominating other pupils to befriend or ‘buddy’ them, can help new arrivals settle and feel that they belong.

It is important to remember that refugee children have diverse backgrounds and experiences. As with all children, being listened to and understood supports understanding and positive relationships. Teachers and other school practitioners should be aware that developing trusting relationships can take time. Not all children and young people will feel able to talk about feelings and often harsh memories.

What does the school need to know?

The admission meeting is the main opportunity for schools to meet new pupils and their parents or carers. This is an opportunity to welcome children and families, and develop an understanding of previous educational experiences and achievements. Information on languages spoken is also important. Many schools involve ethnic minority achievement teachers and teaching assistants, as well as induction mentors in the admission meeting.

Schools should aim to establish children’s relationships to their parents and carers. Some refugee children may be living with other relatives or even older siblings. It is particularly important that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are identified. Information on them should be forwarded to the designated teacher who is responsible for the education and welfare of looked after children. The admission interview is also a good time to establish if children are entitled to free school meals and help with school clothing and travel.

Schools may need to help families to complete any application forms and should be advised on what proof of entitlement they may need to provide. Confidentiality is a key issue for refugees: explain who will have access to information about the child and the family, and why. They may be anxious about identifying themselves as asylum seekers or refugees. It is not necessary to ask to see passports or immigration papers, although some families may choose to provide these as proof of names and dates of birth.

Please note: School trips

Asylum seekers and their dependents cannot travel outside the UK while they await a decision on their asylum claim. People with refugee status, exceptional leave to remain (ELR), humanitarian protection (HP) or discretionary leave (DL) may not have passports or be able to get or use a passport from their country of origin. They can get travel documents but not every country accepts these. Advice should be sought from the Home Office before making travel arrangements for a pupil.

Remember that costs for school trips may be too expensive for asylum-seeking and refugee families. If children get support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and child tax credit in defined circumstances, they can apply to have board and lodging costs during residential school trips reimbursed (Section 200, Education Act 2002, Statutory Instrument 2003 - No 381).

Involving parents

Parents and carers also benefit from a warm welcome and the provision of information about schooling in the UK. The structure of the school day, as well as the curriculum and teaching methods may be different from those in their home country in the following ways:

Teaching methods in the UK are often more informal. Refugee parents and children may not, for example, have experienced play or group work as educational activities
Schools may teach a different range of subjects
Practical educational activities such as laboratory work may also be new to refugee children

Inviting new pupils and their parents or carers to visit the school before enrolling, or to have a tour round at the same time as the admission meeting can be very useful. The local authority may be able to help in finding an interpreter if necessary. During the visit, school routines should be explained, as well as what subjects the child will study, what teaching methods the school uses, and what the school’s policies on homework and school uniforms are. Parents should also be given some information about the education system or school to take home with them.

Many schools and local authorities provide translated information for parents. But some parents may not be literate in their own language. The DCSF has leaflets in 11 different languages on the school curriculum, on how parents can help children to read and write, on special educational needs and many other subjects.

Religious and cultural needs

Refugee children and young people may have particular religious and cultural needs that schools will need to be aware of. Particular areas where schools may need to ensure there is good information and communication include:

Religious education (RE): all schools must teach religious education, although there is no national programme of study. For most schools, RE teaching will be based on a local education authority programme.
Sex and relationship education (SRE): schools and governors should always work in partnership with parents when developing or updating the schools SRE policy, and be sensitive to the needs of culturally diverse communities. Parents do have the right to withdraw their children from any part of SRE lessons, but not from statutory science lessons
Collective worship: all maintained schools must provide daily collective worship for all registered pupils. Parents have a right to withdraw their children from collective worship
School meals: some refugee families will need to be reassured that halal and vegetarian meal choices are available for children

Good practice: In the classroom

Let the class know that a new pupil is joining them. Inform the class teacher or form tutor but also all the other teachers and practitioners who will be working with the new child
Assign each new arrival a class friend or ‘buddy’ who will show them around the school, tell them where to go for lunch and introduce them to the teachers. Make sure that each class friend or buddy is supported and knows what they need to do
Review children’s progress after a set period of time (for example, after a month or half term) and set up regular reviews after that
Find out whether the child has any religious, cultural or dietary requirements
Consider classroom groupings carefully. Sitting a child next to a sympathetic friend who is well established in the class, can be an important support, especially if the friend speaks the new child’s language
Use visual supports, such as diagrams, flash cards, illustrated dictionaries and glossaries
Make sure that the school library has bilingual dictionaries for all the children who need them
Talk to new pupils individually and try to greet them in every class. Teacher and student should know each other’s name and be able to say it clearly
Encourage new students to take part in practical activities that involve using language and interacting with other pupils
Collaborative activities can help pupils work together on tasks and are useful for introducing and reinforcing new language and concepts
Encourage students to ask for help when they do not understand something
Tapes and CD-ROMs of stories can help develop reading skills
Make use of bilingual books and texts, which are available from libraries and ethnic minority services support teams. (Refugee Council bi-lingual publications are listed at the end of this chapter.) There are also many CDs that help students at beginner level
Prepare short lists of key English vocabulary for lessons when appropriate
Make sure instructions on work sheets are clear and follow the same format
Allow pupils to use their home languages in class and in homework activities. This can help them build on prior learning and will not hinder their learning of English

Case study

The London Borough of Haringey is culturally diverse - about 75 per cent of the pupils are from ethnic minorities. In 2005, the local authority produced a DVD called Haringey Welcomes You in nine languages aimed at newly arrived refugee families. The DVD comes with a booklet listing local services and organisations. The local authority distributed the DVD to schools, council departments, libraries, community organisations and departments dealing with school admissions. They also gave schools DVD players so they could show it to families. The Project received funding from the European Refugee Fund. See the National Integration Refugee Forum website.

Arrival

Refugee pupils and children from other backgrounds can arrive in the middle of a school term. They will need a friendly and supportive induction to help them settle in and adjust to their new school as quickly as possible. Having a good induction process in place can help prevent any problems in the long run, and is an effective way for a school to manage pupil mobility.

If the school has not been able to find out about the child’s previous education, it should do so as part of the admission and induction process. Some refugee children may not have been to school before, or circumstances in their home country may have interrupted their education.

Learning English

Most local authorities will provide information and guidance to schools on teaching pupils with English as an additional language (EAL). This is often done by a central team of ethnic minority achievement advisers. Some local authorities also have websites that provide guidance and resources.

Many schools will also have ethnic minority achievement co-ordinators, teachers and teaching assistants that take the Lead on developing support for pupils with EAL. However, the Government is clear that supporting pupils with EAL is a shared whole school responsibility. The DCSF and Ofsted have stated that in schools with the best practice for minority ethnic pupils, including those with EAL, there is an ethos that stresses the following:

High achievement
Equal opportunities
The valuing of cultural diversity
The provision of a secure environment
The centrality of ethnic minority achievement work
Partnership with parents and the wider community

Ethnic minority achievement teachers and other practitioners have a key role in developing the school’s ethos and practice, but do not replace the shared responsibility of teachers and staff to promote inclusion and achievement of all pupils. Ethnic minority achievement teachers and staff are most effective when they are part of the school’s mainstream management of teaching and learning and not ‘at the margins’.

Some schools have developed and timetabled programmes for pupils who have newly arrived at school and who are at an early stage of learning English. These programmes often replace ‘ordinary’ lessons for a designated period of time. Pupils may also be withdrawn in some schools from their ordinary lessons to do EAL-focussed or other subject work. However, it is important that pupils learning EAL receive their full entitlement to the National Curriculum. Pupils’ competence in English does not necessarily indicate their level of academic potential and they need to engage actively with the same concepts and levels of challenge as other pupils of the same age.

The Primary and Secondary National Strategies emphasise the importance of the inclusion of children learning EAL, and have produced guidance for teachers on effective strategies. For more information visit the DCSF website.

Good practice: Children with EAL

The following will support the progress and achievement of pupils with English as an additional language:

Ensuring that experienced ethnic minority achievement practitioners are seen as a key resource in the support for refugee children
Providing a clear role for bilingual assistants
Ensuring that all school practitioners receive professional development training on how to support pupils with EAL
Allowing classroom teachers and ethnic minority achievement staff to work in partnership
Differentiating teaching materials
Regularly assessing and monitoring progress in EAL (with the classroom teacher and the ethnic minority achievement teacher working together)
Valuing home languages and providing opportunities for children to use them
Adapting and modifying resources and teaching approaches
Assessing children carefully to ensure they are placed in sets that match their experience and cognitive level
Continuing to assess children’s progress and providing appropriate support after they have developed initial oral fluency in English
Providing opportunities for pupils to sit GCSEs in home languages

Home languages

Refugee children should not lose touch with their home language(s). They may return to their home country one day, and they also need to communicate with elder members of their family. Keeping up their language also helps refugee children’s sense of identity and self-development. A refugee learner’s first or home language will also play a significant role in the learning of English as a second language.

There are many ways in which refugee children can maintain their home language. Some refugee languages are taught at GCSE level where there are sizeable ethnic minority communities. Schools may also provide lessons in ethnic community languages as part of the mainstream curriculum. If schools cannot teach a particular language, then teachers can still show an active interest in a refugee child’s linguistic heritage.

School libraries should hold a range of home language bilingual publications. Ethnic minority achievement teachers and other staff can help them find such resources. For speakers of other home languages, Asset Languages offers a recognised qualification, which is linked to the Department for Education and Skills’ Language Ladder scheme. Assessment material includes Arabic, Somali, Tamil, Turkish and Yoruba.
Find out more on the Asset Languages website.

Many refugee children learn their home language at community schools outside mainstream school. Community schools teach languages, religion, culture and history of their country. They also often organise leisure activities. Mainstream schools should try to develop partnerships with them and get teachers and other students to visit them.

Emotional support

It is important to recognise that most refugee children are extremely resilient despite the variety of hardships that they encounter. Going to school, making friends and feeling a sense of belonging all support positive coping and emotional well-being. For most children, the structure and routines of the school day provide stability and normality.

Refugee children may have had traumatic experiences, and will be coping with loss and change. When they arrive in the UK they are in unfamiliar surroundings. Some may have lost their parents or relatives. They will probably have also lost their possessions. Some children may have experienced or witnessed armed conflict and human rights abuses. Even though some experiences are common amongst refugees, children will respond and cope in different ways. If problems do occur, it is best to talk to the child about how they are feeling. It is important to be aware of what they have been through and know when to call for expert advice.

Children may also be vulnerable because of the stressful circumstances they face in the UK such as financial hardships, frequent accommodation changes with resulting changes in schools, uncertainties over asylum applications, as well as the challenges of adapting to a new culture and learning a new language. Young refugees may also experience racism due to the negative image of asylum seekers frequently shown in the media.

Activities such as Circle Time, autobiographical and life story writing can help children understand and express their feelings in a safe environment, provided their language development needs are supported. Creative and group activities such as music, play, drama, art and storytelling also develop social skills and improve motivation and Learning.

For more information on Circle Time visit the Teachers' website.

Plays and sports activities can help children manage experiences of loss and change. By releasing tension and having fun, children can often cope better and show resilience. Play and sports activities often help children develop their language and social skills. Having friends and a social network will also help children feel less isolated and support self-esteem.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and Educational Psychology Service will be able to provide advice if a teacher has concerns about a child. Some schools may also have learning mentors and Connexions personal advisers who can provide additional support to a child. The SENCO will also be aware of other local agencies, such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and will assist in deciding whether a referral for more specialised support is appropriate.

Countering hostility and racism

In the UK, some sections of the public demonstrate hostility towards refugees and asylum seekers.

Bullying

Many refugee children experience bullying at school. This may be because they are refugees or because of their race, religion or culture. Since September 1999, schools have had specific duties to combat bullying, and must have anti-bullying policies and procedures in place. Further guidance on tackling racist bullying is available on the teachers website.

Promoting race equality

As a result of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, all schools have a statutory duty to promote race equality. Schools also have specific duties to prepare a written statement of the school’s policy for promoting race equality, and to act upon it. In addition, all schools should have structures and procedures in place to tackle racist incidents. These will usually be described in the school’s race equality and behaviour policies. Schools must record all racist incidents and ensure these are reported to school governors and the local authority.

Good practice: Minimising the effects of stress

Talk to the child. One of the most important things a teacher can do is to talk to refugee children, listen to what they say and take it seriously. To do this effectively, a teacher must make regular free time and have some degree of privacy. A room or an office can be used for this purpose during school breaks or after school
Treat each child as an individual and develop an appropriate strategy for each case
Work with parents and carers. If a child has difficulties at school, it is essential to develop good communication with the parents or carers as early as possible. They may speak little English, so you need to use an interpreter. The child’s problems may be linked to the parents’ own problems
Encourage self-reflection. Through autobiography or creative writing, children can write about themselves, their home country and their current circumstances. Younger children can make a scrapbook or picture book. Painting, drawing, drama and games can also help a child explore their feelings
Use the pastoral curriculum. Refugee children are unlikely to be the only pupils who have experienced bereavement. Some schools have built up good resources on bereavement for use in religious, personal or social education. Using the pastoral curriculum helps refugee children realise that other children sometimes suffer similar experiences
Set up a homework or after-school club. They are very useful for refugee children and others living in temporary housing. Adult volunteers from the refugee community might be willing to help run the clubs, and local authority funding may be available
Know when to refer to specialists. Sometimes a refugee child shows disturbed behaviour for too long and does not respond to any support. If this is the case, a school should consider referring the child for specialist help. There might be someone in the school psychological service who is experienced in working with refugee children or with children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Staff in local child guidance clinics or voluntary organisations can help find out where to go for specialist advice

If counselling is necessary, it is best done in the school environment. Teachers with a relevant professional qualification or outside agencies can facilitate this. The following signs may indicate that a refugee child is not coping well:

Loss of interest and energy, or withdrawn behaviour
Aggression or anger (children who find it hard to express their feelings may use violence as an outlet. They may also be copying violence they have witnessed)
Lack of concentration or restlessness
Repetitive or intrusive thoughts about traumatic events, repetitive play or drawings
Poor appetite, over-eating, breathing difficulties, pains and dizziness
Not thriving
Self-injury or self-abuse
Loss of recently acquired skills, such as keeping dry at night
Nightmares and disturbed sleep
Crying and extreme sadness
Nervousness and fear of things such as loud noises
Difficulty forming relationships with other children

Global communities: learning about refugee issues

The Global Communities Project is a Refugee Week education project funded by the Department for International Development. It aims to improve understanding of global migration and interdependence including refugee issues. There is one resource pack for primary schools and one for secondary schools. Each pack has background information and a set of activities with clear and practical instructions. The packs support teachers or facilitators in tackling controversial issues on racism.

Using the curriculum

The school curriculum provides opportunities to challenge racism, prejudice and bullying. The framework for Personal, Social and Physical Education (PSHE) and Citizenship aims to teach pupils to understand and respect diversity and differences. Pupils learn to recognise the effects of bullying, stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination of any kind, and to develop the skills to challenge discrimination assertively. The PSHE framework for teaching outlines which subjects should be taught at which Key Stage:

Key Stage 1: there are different types of teasing and bullying; bullying is wrong; how to get help with bullying
Key Stage 2: realise the nature and consequences of anti-social and aggressive behaviours, such as bullying and racism; recognise and challenge stereotypes
Key Stage 3: the effects of all types of stereotyping, prejudice, bullying and racism; how to challenge them assertively
Key Stage 4: how to challenge offending behaviour, prejudice, bullying, racism and discrimination assertively and take the initiative in giving and receiving support

There are also opportunities in the curriculum for children and young people to learn about human rights, migration and how Britain became a multicultural society. Learning about refugees can help promote empathy and understanding.

Ideas for the curriculum might include:

English: refugee diaries and autobiographies, fictional accounts, media coverage of refugee and human rights issues, developing campaign material for a refugee debate
History: the Huguenots, Jewish migration in Victorian Britain, the Second World War, the United Nations and international law, the colonisation of Africa and post-colonial experience, the Vietnam war, current international conflicts, a study of local migration
Religious education: accounts of migration among different religious groups, moral issues such as responsibility to others, the arms trade, war, poverty, social justice
Sociology: race and immigration, the role of pressure groups within a democracy and development issues
Geography: the impact of migration to a host country
Humanities: issues of conflict and cooperation, freedom and constraint, justice, pressure groups, politics and nationalism
Art and design: the study of art from refugee-producing countries and production of campaign materials
Nurseries: teaching songs in different languages, celebrating Hindu, Jewish and Muslim festivals as well as Christmas and Easter, and using multicultural resources

The Refugee Council publishes a range of resources on teaching refugee issues through citizenship, geography, history and development to children of all ages. Call 020 7346 6738 to order a publications catalogue or go to the Refugee Council website.

Case study: ‘Eye to eye’ website for teachers

Save the Children has developed an innovative, multi-media workshop project based on a series of photographic workshops in Palestinian refugee camps. This project provides Palestinian children with an opportunity to express themselves creatively and allows children in the UK to explore the lives of their peers in Palestine. Photographs taken by Palestinian children living in Lebanon and the occupied territories are posted on the website along with stories and a message exchange facility. The teachers’ section on the website is aimed at teachers who want to help their pupils explore in more detail the issues raised in the Eye to Eye website. Visit the Save the Children website.

Other ways to raise awareness

Another way to raise awareness of refugee issues in the classroom is to invite refugee parents or members of local refugee community organisations into school to talk about their experiences. This will also help build links with the wider refugee community. Schools can also invite speakers from specialist organisations working on refugee-related issues. Student Action for Refugees (STAR) is a national student network that focuses on raising awareness of the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. STAR mainly works with 16 to 18 year olds in schools and youth organisations around the UK, but you can book workshops with other age groups.

Case studies

Villiers High School

At Villiers High School in Southall, refugee students themselves approached staff at the school to ask for help to make other students understand their background and not to be typecast as ‘refugees’. As a result, teachers and staff organised a group of student counsellors who listened to the students’ stories, which were then used as a basis for a play called ‘Migrating Swallows’. Through other activities, such as poem writing, painting, and school outings, the refugee students also managed to involve other students and form closer friendships with them.

Roleplay ‘Journey to safety’

Student Action for Refugees (STAR) has developed a role-play activity simulating the experiences of families fleeing their countries to find refuge. The activity is designed for participants of all ages to raise awareness of the experiences of refugees and the obstacles and perils that they face on their journeys to safety. This is based on selected parts of ‘Passages’, an activity devised by the UNHCR. For more details of this and other ideas from STAR’s youth programme, visit the STAR website.

Refugee week

Refugee Week is a UK wide annual programme of events which celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK and is held in the month of June. During Refugee Week hundreds of events exploring refugee experiences take place across the UK. These range from small community and school activities to art exhibitions, political debates, film screenings, conferences, big music festivals, sports events etc...