Dear friends,

...and so we hit the half point in the academic year!

For those of you working towards the award by the end of the year, I know things will be getting busy - but you're nearly there! Remember that our appraisal teams are not expecting "perfect" (there's no such thing!), but instead wanting to see that you have really got to grips with our goals, engaged with the criteria, and that this process has been reflective, collaborative and intentional. Good luck and we look forward to celebrating with you soon!

In other news.. new government guidance has worrying implications for people seeking safety in the UK to be able to gain the stability of British citizenship. Whilst previously people could apply for British citizenship after having leave to remain for the designated length of time, the new guidance states that anyone who arrives in the UK via an irregular route such as by boat or lorry or having arrived without a valid visa or under false pretences will be deemed not of good character and ineligible for citizenship.

As there are no ways people can seek asylum outside the UK and no longer any quotas to ensure people seeking safety can resettle in the UK under relevant schemes, this guidance will have particularly worrying implications for people seeking asylum. Whilst Home Office officials have reassured that this shouldn't affect children, this nonetheless will be worrying for many families - so reach out and check-in with those in your school community and make sure they know which local services they can contact for advice. 

As the financial calendar comes to a close, can we cheekily ask a favour?

If you have any remaining funds within your annual budget, please consider donating to Schools of Sanctuary. We continue to widen our offer to schools across the UK, and train and support a growing Local Lead network who deliver the award within their local area, but we rely on donations to keep going. As little as £60 per school could have a massive difference - and is the best way to show how much you value the work we do. Thank you.  

Now, read on for news about an exciting crossover for this year's Refugee Week; a list of our latest Schools of Sanctuary; upcoming events, trainings and celebrations; new teaching and learning resources and other helpful materials or opportunities; and a suggested collective action for Mother's Day.

Kind regards,
Megan, Schools of Sanctuary Programme Manager
[email protected]

We're delighted to welcome St Catherine of Siena RC Primary School, St Edward's RC Primary School, and St John and St Peter's CE Academy (Birmingham); St David's Catholic College (Cardiff); Hampstead School (London); Ringway Primary School (Manchester); Brudall Primary School,
Dussindale Primary School, Ghost Hill Infant School and Nursery, and Moorlands Church of England Primary School (Norfolk); Croftway Primary School and Newsham Primary School (Northumberland); St John's Primary School (Penistone); Knighton Church in Wales Primary School (Powys); Galton Valley Primary School (Sandwell); Berkeley Primary School (Scunthorpe); Meersbrook Bank Primary School (Sheffield); Llansannor and Llanharry CiW Primary School (Vale of Glamorgan); Sydenham Primary School and Lighthorne Heath Primary School (Warwickshire); St Michaels CE Primary Academy (Wolverhampton) as our newest Schools of Sanctuary.

We also warmly celebrate the renewal of Freshfield Primary School and St Anne's Catholic Primary School's awards in Liverpool.

Award Coverage

• School of Sanctuary award for St Stephen's CE Primary School | Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Click here find out more about the awards process.

• 1st March: Zero Discrimination Day
• 2nd March: World Book Day
• 6th March @ 9.30am: World Book Day Storytelling Event for 7-11 year olds - The Magic Paintbrush: A Story of Creativity and Kindness (Giglets)
• 6th March @3.40pm: Spotlight on 'Language Friendly Schools' with Dr Ellen-Rose Kambel and Dr Emmanuelle Le Pichon-Vorstman (Giglets)
• 13th March @ 4pm: How can schools work effectively with families of multilingual learners? (The Bell Foundation)
• 18th, 25th March & 1st April @ 4pm: Healing Classrooms Training (IRC)
• 20th March: Nowruz
• 30th March: Eid al-Fitr and Last Day of Ramadan
• Ongoing: Principles and Practices of Peace Education (Open University x Quakers in Britain)

With Mother's Day fast approaching, this is an opportunity for your school to look at the experiences of children seeking safety who arrive in alone in the UK and learn how, unlike adults, children are not able to be reunited with family members.

Suggested Learning Resources:

• Without My Mum Video [Refugee Council]
• Dear Habib Lesson Plan [PositiveNegatives] 
• Families Together Teaching Resources [Oxfam]

Suggested actions:

• Learners draw pictures of their families and loved ones on a jigsaw template to symbolise how families are meant to be together. Develop stop-start animations putting the pieces together to share on social media. 
• Learners design and write letters to their 'grown-ups' to tell them how much they love and appreciate them and how difficult they would find it to be separated from them. Take it one step further: invite parent/carers into school to work with their child on this card and learn why you are doing this activity. 

Together, we are building a culture of welcome. If you understand the vital importance of Schools of Sanctuary, please dig deep and help us to spread welcome in schools during these very challenging times. Click here to donate. Thank you.