Dear friends,

As we start the new year, we've been looking back to 2025 and anticipating possibilities for 2026. 

We all know last year was a challenging one, but we should also remember our successes. This includes...

• 203 new schools joined the network - taking us to over 1100 schools across the UK.
• We onboarded new Local Leads in 11 parts of the UK - meaning hundreds more schools can work towards the Schools of Sanctuary award and benefit from tailored advice and support from someone who understands your local context.
• We gave out 151 School of Sanctuary awards - that is more than ever before!
• A whopping 95% of schools awarded last year report the process building staff expertise and 93% report it strengthening a culture of inclusion and belonging in school.
• We launched a project to better understand effective approaches and principles for teaching about (forced) migration and we're developing resources, including animations to support you in your teaching practice.

At City of Sanctuary UK, we're doing everything we can to grow our network, develop and provide much requested resources and events, and continue to train and support our fantastic Local Leads.

With just one full-time member of staff and a bit of extra help in Wales, we're doing all of this on a shoestring. If you can think of us when planning fundraising activities, I would be really grateful - every donation helps us secure the future of the Schools of Sanctuary programme.

I wish you a wonderful year ahead and thank you for your continued commitment to building schools and communities where children seeking sanctuary - and everyone - can feel safe, a sense of belonging and can thrive.

Kind regards,
Megan, Schools of Sanctuary Programme Manager
megan@cityofsanctuary.org

We're delighted to welcome Ravenswood Primary, St Cuthbert's Kenton Primary, Welbeck Primary, St Joseph's Primary, Benfield secondary, Excelsior secondary (Newcastle); Welbeck Primary School (Nottingham), Hyde Park Infant School, Hyde Park Junior School (Plymouth); Dovecote's Primary School (Wolverhampton) as our newest Schools of Sanctuary.

We also warmly celebrate the reaccreditation of St Columba's Primary School (Birmingham); Earlsdon Primary (Coventry); The Friars Primary School, St Philips CE Primary School, All Hallows High RC High School, Oasis Media City Academy (Salford), Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, (Wiltshire).

Award Coverage

Fishergate Primary School in York is a 'School of Sanctuary' | York Press

Click here find out more about the awards process.

• 14th, 21st & 28th January @ 16.00: Healing Classrooms Training (IRC)
• 22nd January @ 17.00: Applying for Scholarships Info Session for refugees & people seeking asylum (Student Action for Refugees) [For learners seeking sanctuary]
• 22nd, 29th Jan & 5th Feb @ 9.30: Healing Classrooms Training (IRC)
• 27th January @ 11.00: Making Texts Talk: Using Annotation in Multilingual Classrooms (The Bell Foundation)
• 28th January @ 16.00: National Year of Reading: what does it mean for multilingual learners in your school?  (The Bell Foundation)
• 12th February @ 15.45: Using Family Language Capital to Power L2 Reading (ILT Education with Soofia Amin)
• 24th February, 3rd & 10th March @ 9.30: Healing Classrooms Training (IRC)
• 26th March @ 15.45: Transforming Reading Spaces for Identity and Access (ILT Education with Soofia Amin)

With World Book Day fast approaching in March, it's a great opportunity to talk to your school librarian, literacy lead or - even better - your local library about how you can recognise the stories of people seeking sanctuary as part of this day.

• Could they host an exhibition of children's books reviews or artwork based on books by or about people seeking sanctuary?
• Could you invite authors seeking sanctuary to speak at school?
• Could children create their own books sharing their own stories of migration, or stories from their families?

Working with a local library is a great way to engage members of the wider community: encouraging them to also pick up one of these books, learn a little more and help to better understand the realities of people seeking safety.

Take photos and share your plans with us!

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.