This month schools across the UK are celebrating community, looking after each other and the human ability to start again, as part of Refugee Week (20-26 June). This year’s theme of healing will be particularly relevant to the growing number of schools welcoming children forced to leave their country because of war or other disasters.
In the past few months, many schools have opened their doors to new pupils fleeing violence in Ukraine, including Reception- and nursery-aged children. Some will have been welcoming displaced children for many years, from countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while others will have little or no experience of children from refugee and asylum-seeking families.
Research from the London School of Economics published in 2021 found that at the end of December 2019, there were 16,186 children living on Asylum Support, while research from the University of Cambridge estimates there are between 3,500 and 4,000 under-fives in the UK asylum system.
Children from displaced families have a right to education, but must follow the same admissions process as other families when it comes to obtaining a school place. If there are no places, it may be possible to invoke the Fair Access Protocol, which compels a school to admit a vulnerable child who meets certain criteria.
If parents are not aware of the age that children start school in the UK, children may miss part of the Reception year, so schools should use admission meetings for older children as an opportunity to ask parents or carers if they have younger children.
IMPACT OF TRAUMA
Children seeking sanctuary might have experienced trauma in their own country, on their journey and also on arrival. ‘Children may have grown up in refugee camps, they might have been observers or victims of violence, conflict and persecution, they may have experienced the death of loved ones, they might have had terrifying passages overseas,’ says Megan Greenwood, Schools of Sanctuary co-ordinator at Cities of Sanctuary.
Being forced to leave home, family, friends and possessions is traumatic in itself, says Wendy Jackson, trauma specialist. ‘Children will be in various aspects of the fight/flight/freeze reflex,’ she says. ‘You may find them quite quiet, they may be detached, not paying attention. They may be very quick to get angry.’
Adults interacting with traumatised children should keep calm. ‘You want to keep your voice quiet, even if you’ve been triggered yourself,’ says Wendy Jackson. ‘Minimise surprises – things we think would be fun for them might not be, ask them what they might like to participate in.’
Asylum-seeking families are generally unable to work, and have ‘no recourse to public funds’, so must live on very low levels of financial support. Families may have to move many times, and children may be living in poor-quality or crowded temporary accommodation, which can affect learning and behaviour, educational attainment and behaviour. Children may have little or no space to play and be unable to invite friends home.
Exposure to prolonged periods of stress can affect a child’s brain development, including skills around behavioural control, motor skills, language and memory. Schools need to build trusting relationships with children before any formal learning can take place, says Gillian Devlin, assistant head teacher at Chandos Primary School in Birmingham. Chandos has a high turnover of displaced children, with 120 joining in the past year. ‘If we don't have secure, safe children who’ve got good social skills, all the other things are going to be hard for them,’ she says.
Children may begin to confide in teachers, or they may disclose experiences through play. Early years teachers should know how and where to refer children and families for emotional or psychological support if necessary. Teachers themselves may also need support if children are disclosing distressing experiences.
PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT
‘It’s important to make sure schools engage with parents, carers and families as much as with the child,’ says Greenwood. Parents may be anxious about the safety of their child, and schools can help by allowing them to spend time in the classroom. ‘We had a child from Afghanistan in Reception,’ says Devlin. ‘The child was distraught at leaving mum, so for a few weeks mum became part of the class. Slowly we were able to build up his independence, now he and mum are thriving.’
Schools can help families meet practical needs such as transport, uniform and healthcare, and link them with organisations such as after-school and holiday projects or local support groups. ‘We have a parent-led worker, and we give support around issues like accommodation, food, opening a bank account, accessing an ESOL [English to Speakers of Other Languages] Club,’ says Devlin.
Schools may be able to connect with other sources of support, such as:
- Schools of Sanctuary – a network of more than 300 primary and secondary schools committed to creating a culture of welcome and inclusion for refugees.
- The International Rescue Committee, which launched Healing Classrooms teacher training in the UK earlier this year, aiming to provide children with a safe space where social and emotional learning can take place.
- The Red Cross has a key role in providing support.
- Community organisations such as church groups, volunteers and befrienders, and charities such as Refugee Action.
INDUCTION
Children and schools are often excited to welcome newcomers, but too much enthusiasm is not a good thing. ‘Children are arriving in a new and unfamiliar space, it is an intense experience and it is important for them to have space to process it,’ says Max Davie, consultant community paediatrician. ‘Although it is well-intentioned, there is no need to make that child a mini celebrity – they are just a new kid and that is hard enough even if you are moving from Shrewsbury.’
For children entering Reception, this might be their first experience of education provision or childcare outside the family, says Greenwood. ‘Adults need to be aware it might take longer, for example, for them to learn how to share.’
The National Education Union has a list of suggestions for teachers and schools welcoming refugee children, including:
- find out about any religious or dietary requirements they may have
- ensure that their names are pronounced and spelt properly by all staff
- ensure they know the names of other pupils and other adults that they will meet
- teach ‘survival’ school and classroom terminology including ‘toilet’, ‘book’, ‘desk’, ‘playtime’ and other important words
- familiarise children with the layout of the school, playground, rules, expectations and routines
- arrange for introductions to any other same-language pupils and families
- establish a ‘buddy’ system.
CURRICULUM
Sharon Bond is lead EAL advisor at Somerset Advisory Service, which is commissioned by Somerset County Council and delivered by the Early Years Alliance.
‘Supporting settings with children from displaced families has always been part of our role, but the Ukraine crisis has pushed it to the top,’ she says.
The service has produced a background briefing on Ukraine for schools and settings and translated resources such as the ECAT assessment tool, parental guides to early learning and advice on dealing with trauma into Russian and Ukrainian (see www.eyalliance.org.uk/somerset-eal-advisory).
Schools in Somerset have access to resources including Song Boxes and Story Communication Boxes, based on Neil Griffith’s Story Sacks concept, but including flashcards with words from the story in different languages. Survival flashcards have 20 key words in English and another language, with help on pronunciation and accompanying picture. These are free to Somerset providers but can also be purchased for £7.50.
Best practice in the EYFS translates into best practice in supporting children from displaced families and children with English as an additional language, says Bond. ‘There should be constant modelling of good English, with lots of opportunities for small group games like bingo or Lotto, where there are opportunities to promote language development.’
The NEU recommends teachers take a ‘can do’ approach to the curriculum, focusing on refugee children’s strengths. For example, teachers can recognise children’s achievements in areas that are less language-based, such as PE or numeracy. Incorporating drama, puppets, art, mime and pictures can help children with little English, as can an emphasis on music and singing songs.
ASSESSMENT
Teachers need to sensitively assess children’s language and wellbeing needs, and this can be done by liaising with refugee agencies and families as well as through gentle observation. ‘I would never jump straight in and start assessing English,’ says Kate Madia, principal of St Thomas More School in Birmingham (see Case study, below left). ‘Formal testing needs to come at least two or three weeks after joining.’
When it comes to formal assessment in the EYFS, Bond points out that only communication and language and literacy must be assessed in English. ‘If you have someone who speaks the child’s language, they can assess other areas in that language,’ she says. ‘For example, in maths, if a child can demonstrate understanding of concepts like bigger and smaller, it doesn’t matter which language that is in.’
A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT
Multilingual signs and displays, clear communication to parents that the school is refugee-friendly, and play materials that reflect a child’s culture, all go towards creating a welcoming environment.
‘One school talked to a parent and brought them in to look at the play equipment,’ says Greenwood. ‘They were able to look at the play kitchen, for example, and say “we don’t have this in our kitchen at home”. Dressing-up boxes can reflect the clothes children wear. Otherwise children will feel they are not included.’
The school can show it values children’s home language by using bilingual dictionaries and web-based translators and apps, dual-language books and teaching the class greetings and goodbyes.
Play is particularly important for children from displaced families, helping children rebuild skills they might have lost during persecution and flight, make new friends and develop language and social skills. Children can also use play to process and interpret stressful events that have taken place in their lives.
In general, early years children are very accepting of peers from different countries and backgrounds. Even if schools are not currently welcoming young refugees and asylum-seekers, it is possible to prepare children and prepare the community.
‘I would encourage all schools to do that because you never know when you are going to have a displaced family,’ says Madia. ‘Even if you never do, for those children to have an understanding of what people go through, I think is really important.’
CASE STUDY: Minehead First School and Pre School, Somerset
Located at the edge of Somerset, Minehead is not noted for its diversity. ‘Traditionally we are a very white area – when it comes to learning about diversity, you need to rely heavily on using books and stories,’ says Carol Murray, early years co-ordinator and Reception teacher at Minehead First School and Pre School. ‘We need to be mindful not to stereotype people from different places. For example, after reading a story set in a different county, we must always be clear that some people in such a place might live like this, but many others might not live in houses/environments like those in the story.’
In the past the school as a whole might have had one or two children with English as an additional language – but since Easter, three have joined Reception, including Maksym, who is living with his mum but had to leave his dad in Ukraine.
As two other non-English-speaking children had recently joined Reception, the teacher was able to present Maksym as another new arrival, without going into his background. I emphasised non-verbal communication – “smiley kind faces” was my mantra,’ says Murray.
Maksym seems to be using play to express his recent experiences. ‘When the Lego was out he was making guns, that was all he made,’ Murray says. ‘We sat with him making homes and animals, modelling play that didn’t involve guns.’
The class is about to receive resources including Story and Song Boxes, to help support language development, and is waiting for a delivery of dual-language books in Ukrainian and English. The school has a PENPal, a device that plays back audio when it touches printed books, posters and stickers, and Murray hopes to obtain a ‘key phrases’ poster which will allow her to point to useful phrases with the pen and have them translated into different languages.
Parents’ understanding of English may not be as good as they claim, so it is important to be clear. ‘One mum was nodding when we spoke to her, but we found that she was asking for uniform on Facebook, so she hadn’t understood that the pre-school doesn’t need uniform,’ says Murray.
CASE STUDY: St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Birmingham
St Thomas More began welcoming children from displaced families a few years ago. ‘It has been an adjustment for us but not a huge one, because my principle has always been that this is a school where everyone should feel welcome and safe,’ says school principal Kate Madia.
The majority of displaced children come from Syria, although three have arrived from Hong Kong. The school works closely with agencies such as the Red Cross to learn as much as it can about children in order to build a welcoming and inclusive environment. ‘You will see Arabic, for example, up in early years, and we’ll make sure that our welcome balloons in our entrance include the children’s language,’ Madia explains. If a child arrives with little warning, the school has collated resources in different languages that staff can print out.
St Thomas More has a buddy scheme for all children in early years, with older children supporting them at break and lunchtime, and this works especially well for children from displaced families. The school has a strong focus on oracy and storytelling. ‘That is good for all children but it is fantastic for EAL children and children with trauma,’ Madia says.
The book Rachel’s Story by Andy Glynne helps teachers to explain refugee experiences to children throughout the school, and Malia also recommends Lily and the Polar Bears by Jion Sheibani, The Colour of Home by Mary Hoffman, about a first day at school, and My Name is not Refugee by Kate Milner.
CASE STUDY: St. Dunstan’s Catholic Primary School, Birmingham
St. Dunstan’s has been an official School of Sanctuary since December 2021. ‘We work closely with a charity called Stories of Hope and Home, which puts us in touch with the displaced families,’ says Vanessa Baker, assistant head teacher at St. Dunstan’s. ‘We provide school uniform, bus passes, so that they have no costs, because we want them to come here and feel safe.’
The school’s family support worker will often advocate on behalf of the children and families. ‘One of the issues we’ve had is the poor conditions of the hostel they stay in – the last group of children had bed bugs,’ says Baker. The children were coming to school hungry as the food they were provided with was inadequate, so the school provided breakfast, school lunch and food from the kitchens to take home.
Often the date of birth given does not seem to match a child’s developmental stage. ‘We don’t know what the child has experienced or what kind of nutrition they had in early years,’ says Marie Dean, early years co-ordinator. Older children are sometimes brought down to early years to support siblings who may be unsettled – but also because the early years environment can benefit them. ‘Even though they’re older, sometimes they need those early years experiences themselves,’ says Dean.
Most of the children who come to the school as refugees only remain for a few weeks before moving to another area of the country. ‘Our priority is to make these children feel that they’re safe, welcomed and valued, but also to help them begin to settle into a normal routine,’ says Dean. ‘We know that they have had experiences which disrupted their early childhood, so we want them to begin to understand the normal things that happen in a small life.’
Parents are welcome to come into school to spend time with their children. ‘We had one family who couldn’t adjust to the flavours because the food was so different, they were crying and hiding under the tables at lunch time,’ says Baker. ‘We invited mum to come in and sit with them at lunchtime so that they felt more comfortable.’
Further information
- Refugee Week – https://refugeeweek.org.uk/get-involved/at-your-school
- Welcoming Refugee Children to Your School, NEU – https://neu.org.uk/refugee
- Helping Ukrainian children settle into school, City of Sanctuary – https://cityofsanctuary.org/2022/04/13/helping-ukrainian-children-settle-into-school
- Healing Classrooms, International Rescue Committee – https://www.rescue-uk.org/irc-uks-healing-classrooms