Salusbury WORLD 2005 Salusbury WORLD Successfully Integrating Refugee Pupils.

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Salusbury WORLD

Successfully Integrating Refugee Pupils

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Salusbury Primary SchoolLondon Borough of Brent

• Inner city school with 650 children, aged 3 – 11• 78 different nationalities• 42 different languages• 45% middle class, 20% refugees and 35%

working class• 60% ethnic minority• 38% free school meals• In year 6, only 22% of children started in the

Nursery

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Our Vision

Salusbury Primary School is a multiracial, multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious school. We value this for the diversity of experience and knowledge it brings.

We positively encourage the adults who work in the school and the children to respect each other’s beliefs, language, family structure and way of life.

We help children to understand the world in which they live and how individuals, groups and nations depend upon each other.

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Which means….

“We aim to add something positive to the life of every child who

attends our school, whether this is for one day or for the whole of

their primary schooling.”

Carol Munro

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Salusbury WORLDWorking On Refugees’ Learning and Development

Salusbury WORLD is an independent charity that supports refugee and asylum seeking children and families.

Established in 1999, it was the first refugee centre to be set up within and by a primary school.

Salusbury WORLD aims to share good practice among schools, and seeks to influence provision for refugee children and their families across the country.

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Salusbury WORLD Activities

• Extra English classes

• After School and Holiday Club

• Home School Liaison

• Family Learning

• Advice and advocacy on social issues

• Training

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Our Volunteers

• Trustees: 7/12 have a refugee background• After School Club: 4/20 (3 identified

themselves as grand/children of refuges)• Interpreting/translating• Reading and classroom support: 1/4• Training• Media relations• Mentoring• Trips and parties

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Possible Opportunities

• Interpreting /translating• Mentoring• Learning support• Trips, parties and assemblies• Sharing home culture, food and languages• Sharing experiences• Specific skills, e.g. art, sport, building, admin and

finance • And?

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Possible Barriers

• Recruitment

• Language

• Cultural expectations

• Time/pressures of surviving

• Young children

• Lack of confidence

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Potential Solutions

• Induction: building good relationships from the start

• School culture of volunteering

• Communication: outreach and personal contact

• Maximising opportunities for informal contact

• Creative thinking

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Benefits: for the school

• A means of engaging with refugee families• Provides support for other refugees• Enjoying and learning from cultural

diversity• Building the capacity of the school, e.g.

interpreting and translating• Good role models promoting self esteem

and social harmony• Can open avenues of funding

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Benefits: for the volunteers

Volunteering provides opportunities:• to be of use, to give • to support their children’s learning• to learn about the English education system• to gain work skills• to gain references• to meet new people• to practice English• to be busy

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Some responses

“ I love British people because of Salusbury School. I see the school and Salusbury WORLD as my family. Therefore it is my duty, as well as my pleasure, to help whenever I can. And great things have come out of it for me too.”

“ For every asylum seeker life is difficult. But we want to be part of life, and to rebuild our own lives”

Salusbury WORLD 2005

Finally…

Recent research shows that there is an observable link between people’s acceptance of asylum seekers and refugees and whether or not they have personal contact with them.

‘Tolerance and familiarity on Britain’s streets’ (nfp Synergy 2004)