Initiative: Inclusive practices for refugee students in early years
Organisation: Acorn Nursery
Location: England
Overview
Acorn is a nursery in Brighton, and is part of the Nurseries of Sanctuary network. To foster an inclusive and diverse environment for refugee and asylum-seeking families, Acorn initiates a range of endeavours that can be categorised into three sections: 1) staff training 2) community building 3) inclusive learning and communication.
The initiative conducts training for staff on unconscious bias, racism and unique challenges faced by refugee and asylum-seeking families. To celebrate and facilitate learning on different cultures, the initiative created “home corners”, where students could learn about different countries and cultures. These corners included food, fabric, and other cultural symbols that represented the diversity in the classroom, and helped foster an environment of learning and welcome.
Recognising that building relationships with parents helps them feel confident about sending their children to the nursery, the initiative has worked to intentionally engage with parents in their setting. They reported how simple actions like checking in on the parents and asking them how they were doing, went a long way in building trust and helped the child build secure attachments in the setting. Parents are encouraged to share their cultural traditions and inform the nursery about any upcoming celebrations, allowing the nursery to provide support and participate in these cultural events.
The initiative prioritised an inclusive learning approach. They have intentionally built their reading rooms to include books in a range of languages and with pictures that reflected the diversity of children in their classroom, as well as using makaton (a visual form of communication that uses signs and symbols) and visual images to communicate with children with limited language skills. The initiative also shared an example of ‘poverty proofing’. On World Book day, instead of asking children to come dressed as a character from a book, they asked all the children to come dressed in their pyjamas and pick books available in the school to read together. The intent was that all children should be able to access all activities. Working closely with a local charity ‘Pelican Parcels’ they give school uniforms to children leaving at the end of the summer term ready for starting Primary school. More recently they have started a new initiative giving books to the nursery to share with families for our most vulnerable families, they can read and keep or return and swap them for a new book. This is new and works alongside the free Bookstart packs the nursery shares provided by the book Trust. Staff at Acorn work closely with Health Visitors and together they can signpost families to local charities and food banks. We have a cohort of children who can access the nursery with their 15 hour 2 year funding, this is increased when they are 3 years old. This means children can attend Acorn Nursery at no financial cost to the Family.
Outcomes
Acorn reported on the benefits of providing trauma- informed training to their staff and the positive impact it had on staff attitudes in the classroom and beyond. Staff who underwent the training shared that it helped them identify their own prejudices and made them more empathetic to the circumstances of refugee and asylum-seeking learners and their families. The initiative reported on the positive results of building relationships with the families, which included improved attendance and participation in activities that were being organised at the nursery. Further, these positive relationships have helped the nursery understand the needs of individual families and provide the required support. Prioritising an inclusive approach, had knock-on benefits on the entire nursery, with students and families feeling a sense of community and belonging. The initiative shared an instance of writing up the values of the nursery by taking in inputs from students and families
Approach taken
As a part of the sanctuary network where all members are committed to creating a culture of welcome and inclusion for refugees and people seeking asylum, Acorn Nursery has embedded learning in a welcoming environment. The nursery also shares what they have achieved and learned with other peer institutions to promote this culture. The initiative also works with Ethnic Minorities Achievements Service (EMAS) to build diversity and inclusion into their practices.
Lessons learned
A valuable lesson learned is the importance of investing in families that have experienced trauma. The nursery has successfully built strong relationships with refugee parents by welcoming them and providing emotional support to recognise the trauma they have experienced. Another important lesson learned that has informed their practice is acknowledging where refugee families come from, what they've been through, and how they can best support or guide them. The nursery has connections with other support networks, and is equipped to provide guidance as needed.
Initiative: Transform: Enabling organisations to provide transformational learning to displaced youth in Greece
Organisation: Amala
Location: Greece
Overview
This initiative addressed limited access to education among unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, by training other organisations to run Amala’s education programmes. Amala is on a mission to transform the education landscape for displaced and crisis affected youth. Seeing that less than a third of school-aged refugee and asylum-seeking young people can access secondary education globally, Amala has designed high-quality educational programmes specifically for refugee and asylum-seeking learners that can be implemented in low resource environments to support learners to develop agency and make positive change in their communities and the world. As part of this initiative, Amala trained partner organisations in Greece to deliver these educational programmes, thereby amplifying their offer and increasing the number of displaced young people able to access their learning resources. Amala trained 45 facilitators across 15 organisations in Greece between August 2021 and September 2022, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to facilitate agency-based learning in the communities of unaccompanied asylum-seeking youth they have been working with. Amala provided detailed learning resources for courses covering topics such as “Peacebuilding in your Community” and “Ethical Leadership” as well as offering ongoing support to facilitators of partner organisations upon completion of their facilitator training and throughout the course implementation stage to help them integrate transformational learning practices into their work.
Outcomes
Amala has been able to help organisations in its network build capacity to provide high quality learning to refugee and asylum-seeking learners all around Greece. Many of Amala’s partner organisations were located in low-resourced areas, and educators welcomed the opportunity for professional development. The training sessions were delivered online, enabling educators who lived in more remote parts of Greece to participate. Following the completion of the facilitator training, new facilitators were supported to deliver an Amala course of their choosing through a blended-learning approach which combined both in-class time for students as well as independent online work. Facilitators reported a positive impact on the relationships among students in their communities as an outcome of implementing the courses. Examples that they shared included how previous competitive and sometimes aggressive dynamics evolved into more respectful and understanding ones as well as how students developed a strong sense of agency which enabled them to initiate positive changes both in their own lives and amongst their communities. In their reflections, students also referred to the value of getting the opportunity to work in a team and feel a sense of belonging, and talked about a sense of achievement they gained through the course.
Approach taken
This initiative aimed to support organisations working with unaccompanied minors and young refugees to offer agency-based education programmes and support integration and skills development even when formal schooling was not accessible. It accomplished this by forming partnerships with 15 organisations and training them to provide learning programmes to refugee and asylum-seeking learners. The collaborations with other organisations around Greece enabled Amala to extend experiential learning tools to partners, expanded Amala's network around the country, and enhanced its understanding of the needs of displaced youth and those caring for them. Feedback from students and new facilitators was used to improve curriculum and facilitator training, ensuring it met the needs of displaced students effectively.
Amala’s approach allows for extensive reach, especially in remote areas where its own staff presence is limited. Furthermore, the cornerstone of the project was training and supporting their partner organisations to deliver Amala programmes, aiming for a sustainable, long-lasting impact.
Lessons learned
Over the course of implementing the project, Amala faced challenges relating to partner staff’s capacity as well as the high relocation rate among students enrolling in courses and disruptions to implementation on account of Covid-19. Despite these challenges, Amala reported that adaptability and flexibility are key in delivering education to marginalised populations.
At the time of the project, the political environment and attitude towards displaced populations in Greece was becoming increasingly challenging. This demanded flexible and multifaceted solutions to make the initiative work, including running more frequent facilitator training sessions to accommodate scheduling conflicts and adapting the course structure to a shorter version to increase the likelihood of student course completion before relocation.
Initiative: A Day of Welcome
Location: England
Overview
A Day of Welcome is a collaboration between Norfolk Schools of Sanctuary and Anglia Ruskin University. It is an annual day of action in schools to raise awareness of refugee migration and the experiences of asylum seekers, past and present, by supporting children and young people to understand the importance of building welcoming communities. The Day of Welcome’s key aims are to build understanding of the experiences and contributions made by refugees and asylum seekers, uncover and celebrate little-known stories of refugee migration, and support and signpost Refugee Week events to engage the school and wider community in local and national activities. Key activities are designed strategically so that schools do what they can and want on the day, depending on their time and resources. Many schools use the Day of Welcome as a starting point to launch their own journey to becoming a School of Sanctuary.
Outcomes
In the first year, Norfolk’s Day of Welcome engaged 57 schools across the country, involving 23,374 pupils (aged 4-18 years) and teachers. In 2019, participation increased by more than 20%, which led to the development of ‘Cambridgeshire Welcomes’ to conduct citizen research into the lost history of child Basque refugees in 1930s East Anglia. In 2022, participation increased to over 200,000 pupils from 362 schools. They have since facilitated teacher training to support schools to teach with, for, and about refugees via partnerships with the International Rescue Committee and UNHCR’s ‘Teaching About Refugees’ programme.
A Day of Welcome has also established an advisory group made up of refugee family members in the local community to ensure that resources and activities support the needs of refugee children, and foreground refugee agency and voice. The involvement of refugee families has strengthened the link between refugee and host communities and enhanced understanding of refugee experience. Additionally, since 2019, Norfolk schools have raised over £3000 to support Syrian families to furnish their homes, including the purchasing of 14 double mattresses. Further fundraising has supported the Welcome Wheels project, for which Norwich schools raised £5,800 to provide local refugees and asylum seekers with bikes, equipment, and cycle proficiency training.
Approach taken
As A Day of Welcome is a grassroots initiative, they have consulted and collaborated heavily with local refugee organisations and families in local schools with a refugee background to ensure that the Day of Welcome responds as appropriate to the needs and priorities of refugee children and their communities. As such, the initiative has also collaborated with local refugee support networks to provide essential links between schools, host communities, and refugee families, ensuring that the initiative is part of a developing culture of welcome beyond the school gates. A key element of the Day of Welcome is its creative response whereby pupils are asked to respond creatively or artistically to the refugee migration histories that they learn about. Examples include letter-writing to historical migrant groups and creating “Welcome” cards for recently settled families. Additionally, In many participating schools, the Day of Welcome intersects with, and is a complementary strand of, wider inclusion work that supports marginalised children with other characteristics protected under the 2010 Equality Act.
Lessons Learned
An initial challenge was to make sure that the initiative did not ‘speak on behalf of’ refugees and asylum-seekers. To address this, they consulted closely with refugee and asylum-seeking communities and organisations, and went on to develop a project advisory board as well as employ an educational consultant with lived experience of forced migration. Furthermore, the increasing displacement of people around the world, most recently in Ukraine, has meant that they need to be more responsive to the education and emotional needs and contexts of refugee and asylum-seeking children. Finally, as the initiative grows, the need to secure sustained funding has become more important.
Location: United States of America
Overview
The Refugee Educator Foundations of Practice (REFP) course aims to address the needs of marginalised students, particularly refugees and immigrants, in the US education system by equipping educators with necessary tools and resources. The initiative offers an integrated system of learning opportunities and professional support that includes online, hybrid and offline courses, webinars, workshops, toolkits and micro-credentials. It also creates communities of practice marked by excellent facilitation, evidence-based methodologies and resources, and strong relationships among participants. Over the course of approximately three years, they collaborated with 300 educators in Arizona, Washington, and New York across three distinct cohorts. Each cohort consisted of around 100 teachers, and they had teacher leaders representing each state for every cohort. The primary focus during this period was to refine and enhance the professional development course for refugee educators that they had developed. It covered various aspects, including understanding the refugee resettlement process, cultural and linguistic considerations, trauma-informed practices, social-emotional learning, psychosocial support, culturally relevant pedagogies, sustaining pedagogies, and language development. The course evolved significantly through continuous iterations and feedback from teachers and teacher leaders, leading to its integration into professional development initiatives at various schools and districts.
Outcomes
The project has had several positive outcomes related to psychosocial well-being. Teachers developed digital fluency that led to fostering their well-being during the pandemic. They connected with colleagues, enhancing self-awareness and social awareness. The training introduced psychosocial well-being content and provided practical strategies. Teachers made classroom changes to support student well-being too. Overall, these trainings have positively impacted both teacher and student well-being.
In addition, these trainings have impacted school culture by fostering collaboration among teachers, librarians, counsellors, and coaches. These teams have redefined disciplinary practices and created safe, inclusive spaces for students, addressing their diverse needs. Curricular changes, technological alignment, linguistic accessibility, and advocacy efforts have collectively reshaped the school culture, promoting inclusivity, asset-based pedagogy, and a more empathetic approach.
Approach taken
The project's approach centres on humanising refugee and immigrant education by creating a community of educators who share experiences and learn together. It offers recognition through clock hours and promotes refugee education as a specialised field. This approach aligns with the emphasis on principles like purposeful pedagogy and digital inclusion.
In terms of partnerships, the initiative has formed strong partnerships with state and district offices. Additionally, collaborations with community-based organisations and leaders from refugee communities have been instrumental in tailoring the project to local contexts and strengthening ties with families and communities. Funders have also significantly contributed to the initiative's success by providing funding and valuable insights.
Lessons learned
The lessons learned include lessons related to the significant challenge posed by the pandemic, which affected educators' bandwidth and participation. Flexibility, extended deadlines, and open educational resources proved essential in addressing this challenge. Additionally, navigating resistance to new methodologies within school districts required providing teachers with research-backed evidence and emphasising open access resources. Furthermore, technology glitches and the need for blended approaches to learning were acknowledged.
Finally, despite facing unexpected technology challenges and differing digital fluency levels among teachers, the initiative successfully adapted during the pandemic and fostered digital knowledge among teachers. Moreover, post-pandemic, the organisation is actively exploring ways to meet the genuine demand for face-to-face training while maintaining the flexibility and inclusiveness of virtual communities and blended learning approaches, demonstrating a commitment to continuously improving and meeting educators' diverse needs.
Initiative: Schools of Sanctuary
Location: United Kingdom
Overview
Schools of Sanctuary is a UK-wide initiative to encourage and support schools to review and improve their provision and practice to support students with forced displacement backgrounds and foster a sense of belonging in their school. They have built a network that supports schools by signposting relevant resources, organising and hosting webinars, and developing training and guidance for educators. By building awareness amongst everyone in the school community about forced displacement and the experiences of those seeking safety in the UK, this initiative aims to start a positive ripple effect into the wider community and consequently build a culture of respect, understanding, and belonging in the UK. The School of Sanctuary award is given to schools who meet the requisite criteria laid out by the program. Schools of Sanctuary coordinates a network of over 400 nurseries, primary and secondary schools that are keen to improve their practice to better support students seeking safety in the UK and raise awareness about forced displacement and migration more widely. There are more than 350 schools currently also working towards the award.
Outcomes
An outcome of this project is that schools better understand the holistic needs of sanctuary-seeking pupils and their families both in school and at home and are subsequently better able to support students. They do this by awarding the ‘School of Sanctuary’ status to schools that learn about forced migration, embed policies and practices of welcome and belonging and share their efforts and lessons learned with the wider network. Additionally, an increasing number of local authorities have promoted and supported the Schools of Sanctuary programme within their local schools, recognising how the award can work as a strategic tool for school improvement in relevant areas to better support refugee and asylum-seeking students. An unintended outcome has been that children in participating schools are increasingly aware of the political situation and are keen to turn learning into action by expressing support for people seeking safety to their MPs and local authorities. Further, schools have begun to act as a community hub offering opportunities like ESOL classes, immigration advice sessions and food banks to make these services more accessible to refugee and asylum-seeking families.
Approach taken
Schools of Sanctuary offers a holistic framework to help schools review and refine school practice. The initiative signposts and offers resources to help schools accomplish this within an encouraging and supportive network of local and national schools. The expansive network includes independent schools, inner-city schools, small rural primary schools, nurseries, and special educational needs schools in order to reach children of all contexts and backgrounds. The award scheme acts as a strategic tool to encourage institutions to get involved and ensures that participating schools are recognised and celebrated. More widely, the initiative has sought to work in partnership with similar organisations to share existing resources, collaborate on training opportunities, and identify possible gaps in provision.
Lessons learned
As the initiative started locally and gradually grew its network across the UK, a challenge has been ensuring consistency and communication across the network. In response, they have strengthened and improved their communication through regular network meetings. To manage the increasing interest in their initiative, they have implemented application deadlines to better manage time and have continued to increase capacity to support schools and oversee appraisals. Going forward, they are looking to train and empower young people with lived experience to contribute to the steering group and speak directly to education policy makers.
Initiative: Casa Hejmo - Hosting Unaccompanied Minors
Location: Italy
Overview
The project was initiated in September 2022 to provide safe accommodation for unaccompanied asylum seeking minors, in response to an increase in their number in Italy. The project aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for these young people, offering them opportunities for education and social inclusion. The organisation closely collaborates with the municipality and other non-governmental partners to address the specific challenges faced by unaccompanied minors, such as access to education and psychosocial wellbeing. Additionally, the project explores innovative approaches, including family-based hosting options, to ensure the wellbeing and integration of the young people.
Outcomes
Since its inception, the Hejmo project has hosted 16 unaccompanied minors (as of September 2023). Through the initiative, all unaccompanied minors in the project have been included in education, whether in a formal or non-formal setting. Support is provided to refugee and asylum-seeking learners who are unable to enter the mainstream education system, through language lessons and other vocational training. The initiative was able to leverage the skills brought by the unaccompanied minors, and as a result many of them were enrolled in high level vocational training courses.
Approach taken
The organisation is focused on supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors by offering free non-formal education activities. They establish partnerships, notably with their municipality, to secure accommodations for these minors, addressing their immediate needs. The project is managed by an interdisciplinary team in order to organise the daily life of the community, to manage the relationship with the municipality and with all the organisations involved in the different fields (education, training, inclusion, job orientation, future autonomy, etc), working in network with different stakeholders in order to have access to non-formal learning opportunities for minors, offer essential psychosocial support, emphasising a holistic approach to refugee assistance.
Lessons learned
This project has yielded several valuable lessons for assisting unaccompanied minor refugees in Turin, Italy. Notably, collaboration and partnerships, especially with the municipality and other organisations, have proven instrumental in addressing complex challenges. In addition, innovative approaches like exploring family-based hosting options can significantly enhance the wellbeing and integration of these minors.
Initiative: Stepping Stone Programme
Location: Northern Ireland
Overview
The Stepping Stone Programme is a content and language learning initiative between Conway Adult Education Centre, Belfast, Extern, Ulster University, and Full Service Community Network, focused on the development of English language ability and social skills for refugee and unaccompanied minors who have recently arrived in Northern Ireland. Given the struggle that young refugees experience with both language barriers and socioemotional wellbeing, a 24-week language and wellbeing project was established to provide a structured education, language and wellbeing programme. It aims to facilitate the acquisition of English, provide personal development to improve confidence and social skills, provide guidance in terms of educational and employment opportunities, and to nurture an overall sense of belonging. The programme involves the sharing of expertise between educators, the charitable sector, and academics for the development of innovative and effective approaches to language and social skills learning.
Outcomes
The Stepping Stone Programme provided daily routine, familiarity and security for participants. Assessment of the students indicated that learners showed significant improvement in their productive (listening), receptive skills (speaking), range of vocabulary and grammar accuracy. More significantly, learners' personal and social development, as well as welfare improved, resulting in greater motivation to continue learning to achieve a level of English that can enable them to access mainstream provisions. By the end of the programme, all learners were able to give a five minute presentation at their graduation ceremony. The programme also used a bespoke and task-focused model of mentoring for the learners by engaging with them in a one-to-one relationship and as a group , with regular and consistent contact across a six-month period. This created positive relationships to assist, guide and support young people through the programme. As a content and language learning initiative (CLIL), the programme provided learners with an introduction to the wider cultural context, improved overall and specific language competence, and diversified methods of classroom teaching and learning. The programme also provided learners with the skills to deal with their trauma and anxiety, helping them to feel more inclusive and accepted in their new communities through participating in the arts and sports.
Approach taken
As a collaborative initiative, it is able to pull together a more dynamic approach to language learning and access to education. The programme is non-accredited and therefore, ESOL practitioners are not teaching the students as preparation for a test. Therefore, the initiative is not outcome driven and has greater autonomy and flexibility. The CLIL approach involves learning about a variety of subjects (the “content”) while simultaneously learning the target foreign language (the “integrated learning”). The curriculum mirrors that of a year 8-9 secondary school curriculum and includes a variety of subjects including: English language, Maths, History, Geography, Science, PHSE, Art and ICT. This CLIL approach focuses on fluency rather than accuracy, treating errors as a natural part of language learning.
Lessons Learned
Having taught adult refugee and asylum seeking learners on a limited weekly basis (4 hours per week) for many years , the practitioners had never experienced or been exposed to learner trauma, or learners experiencing a traumatic episode in the classroom. Whilst teaching staff were aware of trauma and its effect on learning, they were not trained in trauma informed ESOL practices and felt 'out of our depth'. In response, the initiative began liaising with trauma informed practitioners at the University of Leicester and accessing UNHCR documentation. In the future, the initiative hopes to incorporate more creativity within the curriculum, such as storytelling and theatre, which will benefit learners by teaching them how to creatively solve problems and build resilience.
Initiative: INSAM (Integration in society/municipality/community)
Organisation: IRIS (Individual Resources - Individual Support)
Location: Sweden
Overview
INSAM is a community adult learning programme that runs in Lund, Sweden. The programme is based on the Employability Indicator project (BIP) that was developed in Denmark, which focuses on the reintroduction of vulnerable people into the labour market. INSAM works with refugee and asylum-seeking young people who struggle with mental health issues, providing them access to education, Swedish language learning classes, tools to support their mental health and ultimately equipping them to enter the labour market.
Outcomes
The main intended outcome of the initiative is to provide refugee and asylum-seeking young people who have experienced trauma with tools to support their mental health and find gainful employment. Some participants have chosen to enter higher education as a result of participating in the programme.
Approach taken
The initiative adopts the BIP approach, which states that health, education and employment services have to be provided simultaneously to ensure optimal outcomes for the young people involved. The project works in a team including a health coach, labour market consultant and a project leader to provide targeted and wraparound support to the young person. Through physical training, mindfulness, 1:1 sessions with a health coach, language lessons the young person is provided with the skills and tools needed to integrate into the labour market.
Lessons learned
The initiative identified the importance of having a physical space to engage the young people in different activities. As they have a rented space, there are restrictions on the kinds of activities and the duration of the sessions with young people. Further, because of the need the project has grown and looks very different from when it began. The initiative would like to be able to focus more on provision of education in its future iterations.
Initiative: IRC's Healing Classrooms UK
Location: England
Overview
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been supporting people who have been displaced or impacted by conflict since 1933. In addition, they have expanded their efforts to assist refugees and asylum seekers in their host countries. In 2020, the IRC initiated programmes in the UK, swiftly scaling them up in response to the crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine. The purpose of the programme is to address school systems by creating an environment where healing can take place and students can reach their full potential.. Therefore, the primary focus is addressing the critical need to support teachers, particularly in schools not equipped to welcome refugee and asylum seeking students. The initiative started in February 2022 and includes an adapted teacher training program for the UK context. It also consists of courses on trauma informed approach to education, effective English as an Additional Language (EAL) provision, and online resources that consist of Afghanistan and Ukraine briefings.
Outcomes
The outcomes of this programme primarily revolve around building inclusive school systems. Rather than focusing on individual interventions, the programme aims to create an atmosphere conducive to healing and enabling students, in particular refugee and asylum-seeking children, to realise their full potential. The programme has trained 600 teachers and 2,500 refugee students have been indirect recipients of the programme.
Approach taken
The programme has established partnerships with various organisations, both formal and informal. Formally, it collaborates with the Amna refugee trauma charity and the EAL Academy to develop resources and programmes. Additionally, it maintains informal partnerships with local authorities across the UK.
Lessons learned
One of the key lessons learned is adaptivity and flexibility. The initiative reported that they frequently update their training material to ensure they are providing useful information to educators. Recognising that teachers do not have large amounts of time to spend on attending trainings, and in response to feedback received from teachers regarding the length and content of the initial iteration of Healing Classrooms, the initiative restructured their training material and reduced the number of sessions to provide a more fast-paced and energised course. In this way, they are now able to provide resources to teachers that are easily accessible and can be implemented in the classroom immediately. The initiative has also created a resource bank for educators which can be accessed from their website for free. The initiative shared that they see learning as a two-way street between their trainers and the participants and always keep an ear to the ground to ensure they are providing what schools need, when they need it.
Initiative: Pre Entry/Beginners’ ESOL Lessons (Family Learning) Online
Location: England
Overview
Learn Ealing is a West London-based organisation that works to increase access to and improve achievement in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) lessons for adult learners who would otherwise be unable to attend in-person classes due to caring responsibilities, health, transport issues or other reasons. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, online ESOL classes were set up in order to provide a safe online learning platform with an experienced teacher to facilitate English language, digital and numeracy skills and intercultural learning opportunities. The project also offers job application workshops in which learners are instructed on how to build an English CV and apply for employment. The initiative is targeted towards refugee adults (over 18), with class size varying between 7 to 14 learners.
Outcomes
The introduction of online ESOL lessons has increased access to language learning whilst also involving digital skills practice, overcoming physical/ geographical/ economic barriers to education in traditional learning spaces. Furthermore, lessons help tackle exclusion and marginalisation, address isolation and facilitate construction of social connections through belonging to a group enhanced by communication in English, accessible via mobile device . The focus of the lessons is to enhance the learners’ functional language skills and autonomy, to facilitate their communication with doctors, nurses, job centres, childrens’ teachers, social workers and landlords and build confidence. The online aspect of the classes also widens educational access and equity by bringing teaching into the home, and provides a positive lifeline to those in temporary accommodation.
It enables refugee, asylum seeking and migrant mothers of babies/ preschool children, full time carers, who may otherwise be isolated at home, unable to access education due to caring responsibilities, to have the opportunity to progress in their English. The children of adult learners are also able to benefit from their parents having a better understanding of the English language as language skills increase parental autonomy and they will no longer need to rely on their children to act as translators. For learners arriving at times when conventional courses are mid-term, either as a result of recently arriving or having (been) moved, this 6 week ESOL course enables learners to start learning the language without waiting up to a year to access in-college classes due to waiting lists , start dates or external qualification assessment dates.
Approach taken
In the face of and following the challenges imposed by Covid-19 and confinement, Learning Ealing has been able to continue the provision of online classes via online learning platforms that are accessible through mobile phones or tablets. This system enables otherwise potentially marginalised learners such as single parents and those suffering with health or social anxiety to participate in a supportive learning environment. Having a virtual classroom has also meant that the initiative is not burdened with associated costs of maintaining heating and lighting in a rented classroom.
Lessons learned
Initially, learners who did not have IT skills or support at home to log onto the learning platform experienced difficulty attending the classes. To navigate this challenge, where possible, learners were telephoned and taken through step by step instructions on how to log onto the learning platform. As funding is linked to the number of participants, Learn Ealing hopes to respond to this by advertising the initiative in health centres and children’s schools in order to increase awareness about the program
Initiative: Peer-led language learning project
Location: Hong Kong
Overview
Learning Together is a community-based learning project that seeks to address inter-generational learned helplessness, which is a feeling of powerlessness in the face of repeated and seemingly insurmountable adverse experiences, among refugee and asylum-seeking young people. It was set up in the summer of 2015 in Hong Kong, and adopts a peer learning and support model by giving asylum-seeking and refugee young people an opportunity to identify ways they can support their community. They do this to instil confidence and activate the aspirations of young people by giving them opportunities to make a tangible difference in their communities. Till date, the project has reached 30 young refugees between the ages of 13 to 24, and approximately 200 adults, over the age of 25.
Outcomes
The first program launched at Learning Together, was a language learning program that was conceived of, designed and delivered by asylum-seeking and refugee young people. Through this program, young people taught English to adults in their community which had the dual outcome of improving their own command of the language as well as enabling the adults to learn a new language to support their integration into the city. So far, 30 young people have been trained to deliver English language lessons in their community. As a natural progression from the growth in confidence and aspirations gained through the language learning program, Learning Together began to receive requests from the young people about university education. In response, the program set up its scholarship program with a focus on enabling asylum-seeking young people to access university education by partnering with other charities, private donors and corporations to raise funds for the scholarships. Prior to this provision, no asylum seeker had been able to get into university in Hong Kong. Since setting up the scholarship provision, they have successfully supported 9 asylum-seeking students to get enrolled in university.
Approach taken
The project is led by asylum-seeking and refugee young people at every stage, giving young people crucial skills that will help them in their life beyond education. The language learning programme is planned and taught by the young people right from budgeting, project management, fundraising for the project, to designing and delivering the curriculum. Through teaching English to people in their community, young people improve their own language ability and gain confidence in their leadership abilities.
Lessons learned
The Learning Together project is run on a voluntary model, so all the funds that are raised go towards running the programs and scholarships. While this is an undeniable strength, the project identified that its voluntary nature makes it harder for staff to always prioritise the work. The complexities in immigration policy have presented challenges on how to fairly compensate the young people who teach English at the program, and this is something Learning Together are keen to address in the future.
Initiative: A holistic and therapeutic approach to education for refugees and asylum seeking children aged 15-19
Location: England
Overview
This initiative was developed in response to the recognition that there was a lack of capacity in existing provision for 16-19 year olds newly arrived in the city from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds. Nationally this age group finds it difficult to secure educational places. Acknowledging that the potential safeguarding and mental health risks for young people within this age group are exacerbated by waiting for a school or college place, the city looked for solutions.
In partnership with Nottingham City local authority and Professor Joanna McIntyre at the University of Nottingham, the Nottingham Education Sanctuary Team (NEST) developed a programme to offer a more diverse range of opportunities for young people through psychosocial support and a therapeutic attitude. The staff have complete freedom to design a bespoke curriculum based on the needs of the students. There is also an emphasis on utilising the skills that students bring with them, as well as offering them opportunities to get to know their new community and environment through enrichment activities. Since 2018, NEST has been able to support 50 or more refugee and asylum- children every academic year.
Outcomes
The initiative noted that through their programme, students who have never previously experienced education now not only have access to English language learning but also have access to a varied curriculum where they are able to achieve academic outcomes in different subjects. By modelling empathy, educators have been able to build close relationships with the students and help them adapt to formal learning. The initiative develops the curriculum based on students’ input and needs, thereby empowering them in their academic endeavours, resulting in positive attitudes and minimal behavioural issues. Young refugees and asylum seekers often under-utilise mental health services due to the stigma associated with mental illness in their countries of origin, lack of access to support due to language barriers and mistrust of authority (Majumder et al., 2014, Majumder, 2019). Research has shown these challenges may be addressed by delivering mental health support in non-specialist, trusted and familiar settings such as schools or voluntary forums (Majumder, 2019) . Therefore, a year after the programme opened, one of the teachers, who was also a qualified psychotherapist, set up ”Space to Talk,” where students were given access to counselling support. This proved to be successful at dispelling the ‘taboo’ around mental health support and a majority of students now engage with talking openly about their mental health. In order to support all students, group therapy was also established, which became very popular and encouraged peer support.
Approach taken
The programme is designed to be full-time, with a diverse curriculum that utilises participant skills and local community resources. The approach is therapeutic and based around the key principles of safety, belonging, and succeeding, drawn from McIntyre’s model (McIntyre and Neuhaus, 2021; and McIntyre and Abrams, 2021) . All of the students at the provision are refugees or Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. The initiative also accepts and supports students with additional needs and has provided education for those with physical and learning disabilities. NEST adopts a collaborative approach and works closely with all those involved with the students. This includes; social workers, support workers, housing providers, foster carers, solicitors, GPs and mental health services. This means that NEST gains a whole picture of the student and what they are experiencing, and is able to offer a holistic response.
Lessons Learned
Funding for sustainability was a significant barrier reported by NEST. After an initial funding period of two years from the Department of Education and an all-round further year supported by the Local Authority, the programme joined the Hospital and Home Education Learning Centre. In order to ensure sustained funding, the initiative has had to make some changes to their approach to meet (the) funding requirements. This has allowed the initiative to continue its work (to function more like) within a local authority alternative education institution in Nottingham. As the initiative has grown along with its unique reputation, the demands have correspondingly increased.
Initiative: Arabic Language Initiative
Organisation: Public School
Location: England
Overview
The Arabic Language programme was initiated by a public school in England in response to the arrival of refugee and asylum-seeking students from Arab countries, many of whom had never attended formal education. The initiative involves the employment of an Arabic GCSE language teacher who works with the students to achieve one GCSE qualification from the five compulsory subjects required. While the teacher assists the students in obtaining a language qualification, the school works with the bilingual support team to offer group or one-to-one support to the students to achieve the required level of education needed to pass the GCSE. While the initiative mainly involves teaching the students to achieve one GCSE qualification, the Arabic teacher also advocates for student-centred strategies and engages the students with more interactive learning opportunities such as trips, arts festivals at school, and cultural events.
Outcomes
The Arabic Language Initiative reaches about 15 to 20 students every year, with classes mixed with British nationals (Heritage learners) and refugee and asylum-seeking learners, who are considered native speakers. By teaching GCSE-level Arabic to the Arabic speaking refugee students, the school has become more welcoming and engaging for that student population. Recognising and building on the qualifications and knowledge refugee and asylum-seeking students bring to the classroom, has enabled the students enrolled in the programme to achieve their GCSE qualifications with improved results, and places them on the pathway to attain higher levels of education, including university. An unexpected outcome reported by this initiative has been the confidence it has given students in their ability to learn and excel in a new education system.
Approach taken
As the school is situated in an area that is densely populated with ethnic minorities from the Middle East and North Africa countries, Arabic has become the dominant spoken language in the schools after English. The Arabic course offers the chance to highlight and celebrate the prominence of Arabian culture within the school.
Lessons Learned
The initiative noted that students are typically placed in year groups based on their age. This means that when refugee and asylum-seeking students arrive in the UK, they are often placed in the same year group as their peers of the same age, regardless of their previous educational background or experience. As the Arabic course demands a strong English and Arabic language knowledge to pass, often young refugee students who have not had access to formal schooling prior to arriving in the UK may struggle with the rigour of the course, The initiative is looking for ways they can continue to make their initiative as inclusive as possible and support refugee and asylum-seeking students in their aspirations for higher education.
Initiative: Education Mentoring Programme
Location: United Kingdom
Overview
REUK’s mentoring programme offers a blend of personal tutoring and well-being support, which is specially designed to meet the needs of young refugees and asylum seekers. REUK matches unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young refugees with trained, volunteer education mentors who meet them weekly to work towards the specific education goals the young person has chosen. This programme has been running for over eleven years and operates in London, Oxford, Cambridge, and Birmingham. REUK reported than an evaluation of their programme revealed that 90% of the young people on the programme remain in education, and 85% make progress toward achieving their education goals. Through personalised support and mentorship, the program aims to improve students' access to education by offering practical assistance, guidance, and confidence-building. Language learning is a significant component, helping students overcome language barriers, ultimately enhancing their access to services and academic success. Additionally, the program indirectly addresses psychosocial wellbeing by providing stable, supportive figures in the students' lives, offering stability and potential role models. It also acts as a stabilising routine amidst life changes. Overall, the program strives to achieve positive outcomes in these areas and is tailored to meet the diverse needs of the participants, both academically and emotionally, leading to improved opportunities and well-being.
Outcomes
As a result of this project, refugee and asylum-seeking young people are accessing education more effectively due to the project's support, including practical assistance and guidance. Additionally, the project fosters increased access to vital information for making informed choices. Another outcome is the boost in confidence among participants, particularly in English proficiency, interaction with adults, and the ability to ask questions. Moreover, the project provides guidance and enhances understanding, aiding young people in comprehending their options and the educational system's requirements. These combined outcomes reflect the project's success in empowering young individuals, equipping them with the confidence and resources needed to navigate their educational paths successfully.
The project's central focus on language learning has multiple positive outcomes. By tackling language barriers, it empowers young individuals with access to services, facilitating education progression, and fostering confidence and communication skills in daily interactions. Overall, through language learning, the project achieves results such as improved language skills, increased self-confidence, and better academic performance.
Approach taken
They primarily reach out to marginalised groups through referrals, particularly focusing on asylum seekers and those facing various challenges. The programme collaborates with various partners to address the diverse needs of young people effectively. This collaboration enables them to provide access not only to their own support but also to a broader network of services, with referrals flowing in from other organisations like social services, schools, colleges, and charities that recognize the value of their program.
During the last decade, the program has evolved and thrived due to its adaptability and ability to cater to the changing needs of young people and created different initiatives like group work to address specific educational needs.
Lessons learned
After the pandemic and exposure to significant digital gaps among young people, creating a flexible online training platform for mentors to access subject-specific or well-being-related training as needed is an important lesson learned. Additionally, the need to expand reach, especially for those young people without organisational referrals is another important lesson for the initiative.
Initiative: Orientation Programme
Location: England
Overview
The orientation programme has been running in Oxfordshire, England since 2012. This initiative emerged from a pressing need to support newly arrived unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors who were experiencing prolonged periods of waiting to get into mainstream school places. Recognizing the urgency of providing assistance during this critical transition period, the initiative initially started as a voluntary effort and eventually evolved into a comprehensive orientation programme. It is a rolling programme so new arrivals can begin immediately, and caters for all levels of education background, from those who are illiterate in their own language through to those who have completed national qualifications in their home country. The duration of the programme is four weeks, with daily English lessons, frequent information sessions conducted with interpreters, and a dedicated day for a trip to Oxford's city centre and cultural sites like museums and towers.
Outcomes
One of the outcomes of this initiative is to provide essential knowledge about living in the country, enhancing their safety and wellbeing and fostering confidence and language skills relevant to their everyday lives. Furthermore, the programme aims to contribute to psychosocial wellbeing by creating a supportive and caring environment, teaching emotional vocabulary, and offering wellbeing sessions. It also aims to provide participants with valuable information about local laws, consent, and resources, ultimately enhancing their understanding of the context and where to seek support when needed. REUK reported that young people value the Orientation Programme; not only is their feedback consistently positive but attendance is also very high. Teachers and social workers also reported on the positive impact of the initiative on the young people they work with.
Approach taken
The team at the orientation programme seeks to foster a nurturing and understanding environment, particularly with the young people involved. Their approach emphasises encouragement and active listening.. When someone is upset or disengaged, they prioritise providing space for them to express themselves and inquire about their needs, maintaining a gentle, calm, and supportive atmosphere.
The program's inclusive approach ensures that unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors are never turned away. Occasionally, if there is available capacity, accommodations are extended even to those who may not perfectly fit the established criteria. However, the primary focus remains on serving the most vulnerable young people.
In terms of innovation, the orientation programme successfully has adapted and responded to the evolving needs of the young asylum-seekers it serves. It continually updates and expands its sessions to address emerging topics such as internet safety and ensuring inclusivity by incorporating subjects like transgender issues when identified as important.
In addition, the programme has established strong partnerships with various organisations, including social services, virtual schools, specific schools and colleges offering language provision. Besides, they actively refer individuals to organisations contributing to a robust network of support services in Oxfordshire.
Lessons learned
The main lessons learned from the orientation programme include the importance of flexibility in response to changing challenges, such as accommodating varying numbers of arrivals and language barriers. Additionally, collaborative planning and ongoing communication with social services have been essential in addressing these challenges and finding solutions.
Another important lesson learned here is the importance of recognizing and being sensitive to the significant challenges and traumas that the young people in the programme have faced in their lives, without necessarily viewing it as a challenge to overcome but rather as an essential aspect to consider in their support.
Initiative: Welcome Project
Location: United Kingdom
Overview
The programme was launched in June 2022 in response to the crisis in Ukraine and Afghanistan, which led to the relocation of Ukrainian nationals and the resettlement of Afghan nationals in the UK. Its primary objective is to provide essential support for their access to, and progress in education. It follows a three pillar approach that focuses on orientation, capacity building and continued learning for refugee and asylum-seeking young people and education practitioners.
REUK employs three distinct methods to work with young people. The first method involves an advice line, typically initiated through email correspondence. After the initial email query, responses are provided via email, occasionally together with phone calls for clarification. The second method is through interaction with practitioners who use the advice line to seek guidance for the young people under their care, subsequently facilitating connections between REUK and young people. The third method to reach young people is through workshops and drop-in sessions, conducted in an online format on a bi-weekly basis. These sessions cater to young people from diverse organisations, including but not limited to the Red Cross, Union Chapel, Southwark Day Center, and Ukrainian support entities. The primary objectives encompass reaching out to refugee and asylum-seeking young people in their respective environments and ensuring that practitioners working with these individuals receive identical information, thereby enabling them to extend support to additional young people seeking assistance. In addition, the Welcome Programme also conducts training for education professionals welcoming refugee and asylum seeking students into their schools, colleges and universities.
Outcomes
One significant positive outcome reported by REUK is that young people are now aware that they can access education immediately upon arrival in the UK, even before receiving their refugee status. Another inspiring result is the realisation among young individuals that they don't have to stick to ESL (English as a Second Language) programmes indefinitely. They understand that after reaching a good level of English, usually around entry 3 or level 1, they can transition to college-level courses instead of being limited to completing ESOL and GCSEs, which often leads to age-related funding limitations. Additionally, the program's emphasis on changing mindsets and helping teachers see opportunities rather than challenges when working with newly arrived children has been a significant and encouraging outcome. In some instances, participating schools have chosen to reevaluate their behaviour policies, emphasising greater teacher compassion and a more holistic approach as a result of the insights gained during the workshops. Another valuable outcome has been the positive impact of feedback from staff and practitioners during workshops. This feedback has led to tangible change, such as one practitioner advocating for broader staff training, recognizing the importance of equipping all teachers to support newly arrived students.
Approach taken
This initiative began with a thorough needs assessment, involving input from various stakeholders such as practitioners, local authorities, young people, parents, and community organisations supporting the targeted groups. Based on this assessment, the initiative implements a multifaceted approach, including workshops, advisors proficient in relevant languages, parent-focused resources, and in-person workshops to address the identified challenges and barriers to education access in the UK.
Meanwhile, the advice line serves as a powerful tool for promoting equity, ensuring accessibility regardless of people’s geographical location within the country.. Efforts are also underway to further enhance access by collaborating directly with local authorities.
Lessons learned
One successful lesson learned was the introduction of drop-in sessions, which was not initially part of their plan. While they had initially considered advice-line services and conducted their own workshops, they realised that instead of practitioners constantly reaching out via email about various young individuals, it would be more effective to bring their expertise directly to their location. This approach has proven to be highly successful in their engagement efforts. For example, they could reach 300 young people in only one drop-in session.
Initiative: Language Friendly Schools
Location: Netherlands
Overview
The Language Friendly School is an initiative of the Rutu Foundation for intercultural multilingual education. It is a quality label and a network of schools who welcome and value all the languages spoken by their pupils. The Language Friendly School is a bottom-up whole-school approach. Schools with the Language Friendly School label commit to not punish or restrict the use of any languages in the school. Instead of offering a blueprint of what schools must do, the initiative gives schools the tools to develop a language plan together with their students, teachers and parents, based on the schools’ needs and priorities. To date (September 2023), this initiative has 37 certified Language Friendly Schools with approximately 20,000 students in 9 different countries: Netherlands, Canada, Spain, UK, China, Dutch Caribbean, Suriname, Germany and Denmark. They include primary and secondary schools, K12, public as well as private international schools; and schools catering exclusively to newly arrived migrant children, including refugee and asylum seeking children.
The initiative assists schools in becoming certified Language Friendly Schools by guiding them through a review process, offering onboarding into the network, biannual progress meetings, and support in developing language-friendly school plans. They provide professional development opportunities, facilitate peer learning within the network, and maintain an online platform with resources. Furthermore, this network of schools actively advocates for language-inclusive education across multiple levels: It maintains a policy that neither prohibits nor discourages the use of languages other than the primary language of instruction within the school premises. Parents are not discouraged from using their native languages at school, and they are not advised to switch to a different language at home with their children. The network collaboratively develops a Language Friendly School Roadmap that emphasises the promotion of linguistic diversity and offers inspiration and ideas. Additionally, the schools maintain a strict stance against any form of exclusion or bullying related to languages, dialects, or accents. For more details about this initiative, please read the article.
Outcomes
The Language Friendly School Network has created an online platform, facilitating the exchange of innovative multilingual teaching strategies which is supported by resources including videos, webinars, and research findings. Furthermore, educators and staff derive immense value from Language Friendly School Conferences, where they forge connections, gather inspiration, and cultivate global friendships which contribute to enhanced multilingual education.
The network currently includes almost 40 schools in nine countries. Initial research results show that the participation of multilingual students and their parents increased in all schools interviewed. Additionally, vocabulary development in Dutch and maths improved significantly compared to control schools. Meanwhile, according to the involved teachers and principals, there are less behavioural problems with pupils compared to schools in the area who have the same background. Teachers think this positive change has happened as their students are allowed to use their own language in their schools and feel very much part of the school community.
Approach taken
The approach of the Language Friendly School initiative is rooted in an inclusive, asset-based pedagogy that benefits the entire school community, rather than isolating refugee students. It emphasises a social constructivist approach, where teachers and students learn from one another and develop equitable strategies to meet specific needs, always within an inclusive framework. While some schools may initially have separate classrooms for students learning the school language, the long-term goal is integration and inclusivity for all students.
Lessons learned
The Language Friendly School network has benefited the entire school community, and has led to positive outcomes such as transformed teacher attitudes toward multilingual students, increased engagement from students and families, reduced behaviour problems, and adaptable target-setting tailored to each school's unique needs. This success underscores the effectiveness of the program's asset-based pedagogy and its positive impact on school culture and inclusivity.
Initiative: Accelerated Learning Pathway
Location: England
Overview
The Accelerated Learning Pathway, initiated by Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College in Waltham Forest, United Kingdom, is an educational program aimed at empowering newly arrived young people, including refugees, asylum seekers, and those affected by forced migration. Recognising the challenges faced by newly arrived refugee and asylum-seeking learners to access education because of inflexible entry criteria and start dates, Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College has redefined post-16 admission criteria and offers continuous enrollment support throughout the academic year. The College also works in partnership with the local authority to provide funding to to support 50 newly arrived pre-16 students each year from 2020-21.
The program demonstrates a commitment to celebrating cultural diversity while fostering a positive learning environment. The initiative has achieved positive outcomes, with students achieving excellent value-added progress. Over 95% of pre-16 students progress to our post-16 mainstream provision. By the age of 18, this cohort of young people has better achievement, and higher grades, than the college average. There are many case studies of students affected by forced migration who have arrived with limited English and progressed to highly selective UK universities.
This initiative also highlights the significance of personalised support in promoting students’ overall wellbeing and future prospects. Their bespoke ‘transition to post-16’ program identifies individual needs of students, and fosters an attitude towards learning that has led to positive educational outcomes for the students. Since 2019, these initiatives have supported at least 250 newly arrived young people to the UK, with over 50% of these being refugee and asylum-seeking learners.
Outcomes
In terms of access to education and education progression, the Accelerated Learning Pathway has consistently demonstrated outstanding value-added outcomes for Year 11 pupils, with over 90% of students advancing to mainstream post-16 education at the college each year. When tracking these students to age 18, they achieve better results and higher grades than the college's general cohort.
Regarding psychosocial wellbeing, the program identified specific challenges among students arriving from warzones, linked to emotional well-being and conflict resolution due to traumatic experiences. To address this, the initiative provided tailored well-being support, conducted sessions on emotional awareness and conflict resolution, and engaged an alumnus who shared a similar refugee background. These interventions successfully ensured that all students completed their year and progressed to positive destinations, with early implementation this year leading to even more rapid improvements in their emotional well-being.
Approach taken
The initiative responds to the distinct refugee education needs by celebrating cultural diversity. It organises cultural celebration events, implements a peer mentoring program, and empowers staff to swiftly identify and address challenges, fostering positive relationships among students from various backgrounds. Moreover, the initiative successfully reaches potentially marginalised children in its context through targeted support for those in care, a hardship fund for financial challenges, and tailored assistance for asylum seekers, refugees, and students with limited English proficiency. The initiative’s partnership with the local council has been beneficial not just for funding but also for strategic envisioning of the future of the programme.
Lessons learned
The initiative has learned valuable lessons related to student recruitment and post-16 transition programs. Consequently, two tailored transition courses have been created this year: a 'Pathway to A Levels' program and a Level 1 program offering taster qualifications in Business, Science, and IT.
Other key lessons learned include the need for clear, long-term educational pathways for students, incorporating regular reviews and personalised route-maps. Building stronger partnerships with like-minded organisations to enhance students' personal development and integration is also crucial. Moreover, establishing a comprehensive long-term growth plan is essential for the initiative's continued success.
Initiative: Saturday Supplementary Programme & Workbooks
Location: England
Overview
Refugee and asylum-seeking young people who have made the difficult journey to the UK are saddled with many challenges, including navigating complex education, care and legal systems. Not only are they affected by cuts to tailored English language learning provision in mainstream schools over the past decade, they also have limited access to additional support and extracurricular activities due to cost, and sometimes, their levels of English. Springboard Youth Academy provides newly arrived refugee and asylum-seeking youth (aged 13-18) with a vital opportunity to make friends, acquire English language and life skills, and begin to rebuild their lives in the UK. By combining participatory learning, life skills and holistic support into action-packed half-term, summer and weekend programmes, this organisation bridges the gap in support for young people left behind by the mainstream school system - and sets them up to thrive.
Springboard’s Saturday Programme initiative offers participatory and creative English language learning centred around culture, science, and the world around us. It features language sessions, sports, and trips for experiential learning. The programme focuses on English language skills through participatory methods like debate, game-play, reflective writing and performance, following a bespoke curriculum. The curriculum covers a range of relevant topics, providing a holistic and engaging educational experience for young participants. Since launching this programme in 2021, over 200 refugee or asylum-seeking young people aged 13-18 have taken part.
Outcomes
In terms of language learning outcomes, this initiative resulted in over 80% of young programme participants showing improvement in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and fluency. Ultimately, they were better prepared for mainstream education. Unexpected benefits included increased cross-cultural sharing, improved debate skills, enhanced confidence, and improved articulation of complex thoughts.
Additionally, over 85% of participants made new friends, felt safe, and received support in the Springboard programme. They accessed wider peer networks, enjoyed a supportive learning environment, and planned their future goals. For new arrivals, the programme often served as their first connection to the community.
Approach taken
This initiative challenges the limitations of traditional ESOL programmes by offering age-appropriate, engaging sessions that encourage critical thinking and tackle political topics relevant to young people’s lived experiences. This programme primarily serves unaccompanied young people who are newly arrived in the UK. Their specialised focus is on those who have experienced trauma, isolation, and limited access to tailored learning and extracurricular activities. Their approach combines ESOL and critical thinking, engaging young learners by connecting language learning to topics like labour, capitalism and employment, empire and colonialism, social media and beauty standards, etc.. Structured lesson plans bridge morning language sessions guided by bespoke workbooks with practical and creative afternoon activities, promoting both language development and critical thinking skills.
Springboard believes that enhancing the English skills and confidence of these youth not only supports their well-being but also empowers them to explore new interests, communicate effectively, and actively engage with the world around them.
To strengthen partnerships, Springboard collaborates with organisations across London. These collaborations create a comprehensive support system, with each organisation offering complimentary services.
Lessons learned
Measuring the impact of this work has been challenging. Because this is a holistic programme, Springboard needed to deploy various evaluation methods at once in order to capture impact across language learning, life skills acquisition and changes to social networks. This has been further compounded by challenges around long-term retention; for instance, depending on their circumstances, some young people stay on the programme for three months, while others stay on for six months of a year. In response, the team has created visually engaging, accessible and reflexive evaluation worksheets, as well as increased the number of evaluations per year, so it is able to capture the varied experiences of as many young people as possible.
The programmes are developed iteratively, which helps Springboard respond reflexively to the changing needs of the young people, and make changes to the curriculum as they learn. With increased funding, they hope to be able to develop a fully differentiated curriculum for different levels of learning.
Title: Hints for Healing Website
Location: Australia
Overview
Hints for Healing began in 2008 as a quarterly e-zine (online magazine) that brought together case studies, interviews and articles designed to strengthen educators’ knowledge and skills about the needs of refugee and asylum-seeking students. In 2020, in the context of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, STARTTS wanted to make these resources more readily accessible to educators and school counsellors; and therefore the Hints for Healing website (and associated podcast) was launched. The website curates professional learning resources such as articles, podcasts and videos, that educators can rely on for timely, balanced and nuanced support in their work. The website specifically targets Australia-based educators to help them better understand the issues facing young people with refugee experience.
STARTTS regularly releases resources on topics relevant to educators working with refugee and asylum-seeking students, often featuring guest experts, including those with lived-experience. Additionally, they provide briefing sheets and podcasts following acute crises related to refugees. The initiative also involves STARTTS clinicians in the writing of articles, and uses social media and newsletters to keep stakeholders informed about new resources on their website.
Outcomes
NSW educators often express their gratitude to STARTTS for the multilingual resources and crisis briefing sheets, which they share with students’ parents/guardians and colleagues respectively, during times of crisis. In the two years between April 2021-2023, the website was accessed by 5016 individual users. As part of the 2023 evaluation of the website, interviews with teachers and school psychologists revealed that school staff used Hints for Healing resources to stay abreast of best practice in trauma-informed teaching and learning. The evaluation also found that school staff used the resources to support students either directly or through sharing the resources with their colleagues, managers or students’ parents/guardians.
Approach taken
The primary aim of this website is to address the specific educational needs of refugee and asylum-seeking students by empowering educators to effectively support their recovery. To achieve this goal, STARTTS has partnered with multiple internal and external stakeholders including service providers, academics, clients and teachers as podcast guests and guest writers of articles, to share their expertise and experience with website users.
Lessons learned
Many lessons are being learnt over the course of the project, including the high demand for multilingual resources aimed at parents and carers as well as more practical tools, tip sheets, checklists and printables aimed at teachers. The 2023 evaluation found that shorter podcasts (up to 30 minutes duration), in community languages are most valued by parents/carers. Conversely, the evaluation revealed that educators and school psychologists prefer mostly short and occasionally, long articles so that they can quickly skim the content before deciding whether the resource is a good fit for their students’ needs.
The evaluation also recommended that a number of adjustments be made to the website design and accessibility features. For instance, the need for podcast transcripts emerged, as a way to cater to users who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as to users who prefer to read and/or skim content. The evaluation also highlighted the need for greater text contrast and boldness, more intuitive grouping of content (e.g. by topic and language), more links to further content on each page, links to the STARTTS services for schools and more prominent Google Translate and Social Media buttons on each page.
Initiative: Teach for Sweden - Teachers leading the future
Location: Sweden
Overview
Teach for Sweden is a charity that seeks to create a more equal educational system where all students are able to finish year 9 and enter upper secondary school. They focus on three areas: (1) adding more teachers to a system that struggles with the effects of major teacher shortages, (2) strengthening the teaching skills in high demand and high need classrooms, and (3) selecting talents with diverse backgrounds in order to represent the students they are working with. These goals are accomplished through a recruitment and selection process which seeks to recruit top talent from the labour market. Additionally, they have developed a training programme which is designed to help train teachers on how to teach students with trauma, how to teach in high demand classrooms, how to teach in a way that stimulates and develops language, and how to develop their own identity as a teacher.
Outcomes
Since the beginning of the initiative, a survey of the 400 new teachers that were recruited through Teach for Sweden stated that a majority would not have chosen to become teachers if the leadership programme did not exist. In partnership with The University of Luleå, they have redesigned the complete teacher training programme, with strong results as indicated by student and principal surveys. The teachers have also become role models for the students, as students that were placed with Teach for Sweden teachers in 2013 are now entering higher education and choosing to become teachers themselves. According to data in Sweden, the schools with the highest needs have the lowest rate of licensed teachers. Teach for Sweden has ensured that more than 100 schools across the country have received a trained and qualified teacher with knowledge around trauma teaching, inclusive teaching, and the ability to lead high need classrooms. The University of Luleå has since decided to use the learnings and conclusions from the collaboration with Teach for Sweden to develop other teacher training initiatives at the university. In keeping with their commitment to increase diversity in the organisation, 40% of TFS’ staff were born outside Sweden reflecting the increased representation in their classrooms
Approach taken
The initiative focuses on recruiting, selecting, and training teachers so that they can lead high outcome classrooms and manage students with diverse backgrounds, trauma, or low language ability. Collaboration plays a large role in the work they do as Teach for Sweden has developed a network of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, various municipalities and unions, and the University of Luleå. Connecting the State, the universities, and municipalities has allowed Teach for Sweden to develop a solution to the teacher shortage. Equity is also an essential aspect of the selection process as schools that receive Teach for Sweden teachers are chosen using data from the National Agency of Education. Ultimately, students are at the centre of all Teach for Sweden activities. Teachers are trained to teach in a student-centric way to ensure that students have a strong voice in their education. Once a year, students answer a survey and the results allow the initiative to constantly develop their leadership programme.
Lessons learned
Connecting and collaborating with three different stakeholders has been a learning experience for the project. Building meaningful partnerships takes time and is a long-term commitment which leads to sustainable outcomes. As the project grows, it would like to increase the scope of the subjects offered and continue to build and support the quality and quantity of teachers in the school system.
Initiative: The Study of Adolescent Lives after Migration to America (SALaMA)
Location: United States of America
Overview
The Study of Adolescent Lives after Migration to America (SALaMA) is a mixed-methods study that is conducted by Washington University in St. Louis and Qatar Foundation International (QFI) in partnership with a number of school districts and local refugee resettlement agencies around the country. It seeks to assess the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of high school students who have been – or whose parents have been – resettled to the US from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It also aims to identify the sources of daily stress in these students’ lives, as well as the corresponding support mechanisms available to them. The study is not only generating important learning about the needs of this growing sub-population, but is also producing insights into means of resilience and best practices taken by schools, communities, and families to support students as they adjust to life in the US.
Outcomes
In response to findings from initial data collection, SALaMA implemented two programs: EMPOWER PhotoVoice, a 7-session participatory action research program that utilises photography to understand and centre students' experiences and priorities, and FORWARD with Peers (FwP), a 10-session program to bolster newcomer adolescents’ leadership and SEL skills. The team developed facilitation guides for both of these programs as a resource for future implementation. Findings from the FwP intervention demonstrated improvements in social support and resilience. Broader findings from the SALaMA study highlighted the need to promote hope, school belonging, and stress management for resilience and suicide prevention. Additionally, given evidence that family ties, peer networks, and relationships with teachers can mitigate the effects of stressful life events on poor mental health and well-being, SALaMA found that these non-specialists can also serve to support students and should receive training on how to educate students about mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. The study's outcomes emphasise the need for culturally responsive programming for destigmatizing mental health and encouraging help-seeking behaviours among refugee children.
Approach taken
Over the past five years, SALaMA has adapted its approaches to engage diverse sites and stakeholders, partnering closely with schools, organisations, and international collaborators to shape research methods, promote community strengths, and inform policies for newcomer students. They have ensured inclusivity, gender equity, and language accessibility while creating innovative programs like Forward with Peers and EMPOWER PhotoVoice to empower MENA newcomer students through social and emotional learning and creative expression.
Lessons learned
Throughout the study, SALaMA encountered recruitment challenges, particularly in obtaining consent from caregivers due to distance, language barriers, and trust issues, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these challenges, they relied on school partnerships and organisational networks to assist with recruitment and approval processes, prioritising data collection with service providers who were more accessible during the peak of school closures. Throughout the study, it has been a priority to build strong, collaborative relationships with schools and organisations to ensure sustainable, participatory research.
Initiative: Advisory Teacher Support for Refugee Children
Location: England
Overview
In response to the arrival of children in the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, the North Somerset Council appointed an advisory teacher to support key staff across primary and secondary schools. They were responsible for providing for the multiple needs of the children, such as English as an Additional Language (EAL), social, emotional, mental health and well-being, transition and inclusion needs. The individualised approach meant that the advisory teacher was able to pick up any worries or concerns regarding any possible special education needs and also provide support to teachers in picking up these concerns. The cohort of children became wider when more refugee children arrived under further Government schemes: UKRS, ACRS, ARAP, and resettled children arrived under The Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Since 2016, the initiative has been able to support more than 300 children.
Outcomes
The initiative has made a point of highlighting the psychosocial needs of refugee and asylum-seeking students and ensuring that these needs are prioritised by school staff. This has enabled the students to feel settled and safe in the school, thus helping them feel supported to learn. The advisory teacher also works closely with family support workers within the Refugee and Resettlement Team, which has allowed the schools to have a whole picture of all the multiple and complex needs of each individual child. This network provides a crucial link to support the children’s educational needs in school, as well as allows the school and advisory teacher to have a better understanding of what is happening within the child’s home and whether advice and guidance is being followed up on. Another outcome of this initiative has been the influence it has had on school culture as a whole. Collaborating with stakeholders at all levels of the school has led to more inclusive and welcoming practices within the schools.
Approach taken
As many teachers had limited experience working with refugee and resettled children, the initiative focused on supporting key staff and directly involving senior leadership in supporting the holistic needs of the children. Individualised support is provided for each child through a network of key professionals and teams. While the initiative works with all refugee and asylum-seeking children, it gives particular focus and support to those with the greatest need, including children who show unexpected behaviours in school due to their trauma needs or due to their SEND and additional needs. The advisory teacher receives supervision and expert advice from educational psychologists on a regular basis. Additionally, through the family support workers, the advisory teacher is able to know which children are being made homeless and thus monitor and offer further support to those children in school.
Lessons Learned
The biggest challenge reported has been the initiatives’ capacity to respond to the rising number of displaced children. To address this, the initiative increased the hours of the advisory teacher to accommodate the larger cohort of refugee and asylum-seeking children in North Somerset.
Initiative: Welcoming Languages
Location: Scotland
Overview
The Welcoming Languages project is a 12-month proof-of-concept study that started in January 2022 as a collaboration between the School of Education of the University of Glasgow (UofG, Scotland) and the Arabic Center of the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG,Palestine). The Welcoming Languages project aims to: include Arabic as a refugee language in Scottish education to enact integration as a two-way process; provide proof of concept for language diversification in education. It pursues these aims starting from education as a context of integration and through the following objectives: (i) adapt the Online Arabic from Palestine (OAfP) to the needs of Scottish educators; (ii) teach Arabic online to educators in Scotland; (iii) introduce Arabic in the Scottish educational context; and (iv) draft recommendations on the potential of, and approaches to, the introduction of a refugee language in Scottish education. This case study is based on an article published by the initiative on the outcomes achieved. For more details, please read the article.
Outcomes
Positive impact on Arabic speaking children was the most significant outcome of the project recorded by the staff and Arabic speaking children. The impact on children was recognised under three sub-themes: practical usefulness, childrens’ wellbeing and recognition of expertise. Staff who underwent the language training reflected that they were able to establish a stronger connection, convey some simple school-related content, and attract the children's attention. Staff also saw a direct impact on childrens’ wellbeing as a result of their language lessons, with children really appreciating the effort that staff in their schools were making.. Being able to help their teachers learn Arabic challenged the narrative of who should be a language learner and gave the Arabic speaking children more confidence in their abilities. Becoming language learners had a direct impact on the educators’ practice, making them more sensitive to the needs and experiences of the students and changing some of their teaching approaches as a consequence. The initiative also reported ripple effects on the whole school, with children realising that staff were learning their classmates’ language as a way of welcoming them and making the classroom a more inclusive space.
Approach taken
The initiative chose Arabic because evidence shows that it is one of the most common languages spoken by children and young people with a language other than English in the UK, and it is the main language spoken by children and young people from refugee back-grounds. The project was conducted in four phases. Phase one was a language needs assessment, which was done by conducting focus group discussions with staff and Arabic speaking students and parents/carers in the four participating schools. Phase two involved the development of a Levantine Arabic language course that would meet the needs that were identified in Phase one. Phase three involved the teaching of the Arabic course developed in Phase 2. Lessons were conducted online, and a teacher from Palestine taught one or two primary school staff. A total of 24 educators signed up for the course, and 19 completed all 10 lessons. Phase 4 consisted of individual or pair interviews with 13 Arabic learning staff; 3 focus groups with Arabic learning staff; one focus group with 8 Arabic speaking children; individual interviews with the 5 Palestinian Arabic course designers and teachers.
Lessons learned
The uptake for the opportunity to learn Arabic was much larger than the project team had originally anticipated, shows that primary education staff feel the need to have some knowledge of the languages that their pupils speak. This need includes a very practical consideration, that of communicating with the children and families, but also from a consideration on the crucial importance to show children and families from refugee backgrounds that the school community welcomes them and makes space for them and for the languages and knowledge that they bring. This challenges the common ‘deficit perspective’ on newly/recently arrived children from refugee backgrounds - one that focuses almost exclusively on what the children lack or cannot do (i.e., speak English) - to also recognise and value what the children know and can do. While the project offered Arabic, these are learning points that can be equally applied to other languages that pupils from refugee and migrant backgrounds speak in UK schools.
The project was very successful and achieved and surpassed all its aims and objectives. The only challenges it encountered were of a very practical nature. Learning Arabic online was tricky at the start, until each teacher/learner pair managed to find solutions to the technical problems that the online dimension posed. A further challenge was the timing of the project, which included the summer break and so a big gap in the Arabic course delivery, requiring the design of an extra ‘refresher’ lesson. Finally, some of the staff noted that, while they had enjoyed the course and felt they and the children had got a lot out of it, this should be part of their workload rather than additional to it.
Initiative: Easy Lithuanian
Location: Lithuania
Overview
Easy Lithuanian is an education institution with the goal of teaching Lithuanian to refugee children in a way that is accessible and not intimidating. The programme was established in a Lithuanian school and is led by a migrant educator with first-hand experience of learning Lithuanian themselves. Their goal is to demonstrate to the children that making mistakes when learning a new language is normal and that even the teacher can make mistakes sometimes. As such, the teacher encourages students to actively speak and socialise in order to overcome the fear of being misunderstood. Overall, the programme aims to reduce the stress of language learning and simplify the process of integration for the children who participate.
Outcomes
Since its introduction in September 2022, Easy Lithuanian has reached 4 students from Ukraine and 2 students from Afghanistan, with education levels ranging from Year 1 to Year 3. WIth the help of joint efforts of teachers and additional Lithuanian language lessons, the students have incrementally overcome their fear of communicating in a new language and have begun to interact more actively with their classmates. The additional lessons have taught the students that they have the potential to successfully integrate into the society of their host country, and while learning the Lithuanian language is necessary, it can also be fun. For example, during their first lesson, one Ukrainian student expressed that they did not want to learn Lithuanian and that they preferred to return home. However, after building trust with the student and explaining to them the advantages of learning a second language, the student began to have more active participation in the lessons.
Approach taken
Easy Lithuanian uses a “language by non-native speakers for non-native speakers” approach. As the language lessons are taught by an educator who learned Lithuanian as a second language, the students are able to see that even their teacher can make mistakes and still successfully integrate into a new country. The lesson plans are based on relevant, real-world situations, and the teaching style is not focused on memorising words and phrases, but rather focuses on using language in game formats. This format makes language learning more fun for the students and also creates a more effective long-term learning experience. Storytelling is also used to develop more interest in the education materials. Additionally, language learning is not imposed on the students as a means of integrating into their host country. Instead, the lessons are used to demonstrate the personal advantages of learning the language of the host country and how the students will be able to reap benefits beyond integration.
Lessons learned
The project identified the need for Continuous Professional Development for the educators to be able to meet the different needs of the students. As the programme is still ongoing, there is still the opportunity to adjust the lessons according to the needs of each group. The initiative also reported that taking time to communicate with the students informally as a group prior to the start of lessons would be beneficial.