Here at Prior’s Mill we have recently pledged to become a School of Sanctuary.
A School of Sanctuary is:
A school of welcome for all.
A school which educates about why people are forcibly displaced.
A school which recognises that the UK is enriched by new arrivals.
A school which supports pupils from all backgrounds to feel seen, supported and included.
We are aiming to learn, embed and share values promoted from the City of Sanctuary organisation to further develop our understanding and broaden our welcoming ethos to all of God’s children. As we learn and explore more on the subject of sanctuary and equality children will be encouraged to wonder and learn about the wider world around them.
To be recognised as a School of Sanctuary, schools must go through the learn, embed and share processes and demonstrate the fulfilment of School of Sanctuary award process.
For more information you can explore the website at https://cityofsanctuary.org/ .We hope you can support us through sharing knowledge, celebrating diversity and encouraging inclusivity.
“Education does not change the world. Education changes people. People change the world.” Paulo Freire.
Our School of Sanctuary journey began with the arrival of a lovely boy who had re-located to the UK from South Korea.
While trying to learn about, understand and support this pupil’s needs, Miss Wilbraham and Miss Chapman began to recognise and appreciate the complexities involved when families leave their native country. This could be due to work commitments, needing asylum, fleeing from war and violence or fleeing persecution due to religious or political differences.
Our aim in becoming a City of Sanctuary School is to help our children to understand the wider world and its cultural differences.
As part of our Christian ethos, we value all of God’s children and we want to show this through becoming a safe space that celebrates and educates around differences.
The children in Years 3 and 4 have been learning about refugees and the reasons that people become refugees.
We thought about how it might feel to find ourselves displaced and what we can do to support those who find themselves in such a position.
The children expressed that we can all help people who have become refugees and those looking for asylum by being welcoming to all people and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We can listen to others and try to understand how they are feeling and what they have experienced. We can see the people behind the labels.
The children enjoyed learning about some famous refugees and the positive impact they had on humanity. These people include: Rita Ora, Bob Marley and Albert Einstein.
As an activity, the children had to Imagine that they have to leave their homes and everything they know.
Each child was only allowed to take a backpack with them when they leave.
The children thought about what they would pack and created a poster to show this. Here are some examples of the wonderful work they produced.