Induction
Induction: Introduction
All students who arrive after the start of the year need special induction procedures designed to help them settle into the new environment and become effective learners as quickly as possible. This is particularly important for refugee pupils, who may come from a country where the education system is differently organised, the style of teaching is more formal, and the expectations are generally different. They may also be feeling isolated and vulnerable.
It is important to thoroughly plan for their induction, and to allow the time necessary for the information gathered to be passed to relevant people and for preparations to be made.
Other pages outline suggested induction procedures which schools have found to be useful.
Schools have found that this initial investment of time greatly helps to overcome any potential barriers to learning, and to ensure that the first crucial weeks in a new school are a happy and successful experience. Knowing that a strategy is in place can help school staffs to relax, and any future communication with parents is also greatly facilitated.
Identifying Refugee Pupils
People who are fleeing persecution in their own countries, or who are aware of the hostile reaction attention to asylum-seekers in some sections of the media, may not wish to identify themselves as refugees or asylum seekers when they first arrive in a school.
Without being intrusive, schools can usually identify pupils who are likely to be refugees through effective and sensitive admissions procedures. The underlying aim of good admissions practice should be to create an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality where parents and the school can talk and share information. Schools may need to explain to parents why the information is recorded, and how it helps to support their child's progress.
The information that schools will gather for all new entrants is often sufficient for identifying refugee and asylum seeking children. A child's country of origin, ethnic background and the language(s) spoken by a family are very good pointers.
A comprehensive list of refugee producing countries and the related languages can be found in 'Home from Home'.
Pupils from the countries listed here may be from a refugee background - though not necessarily.
Identification Papers
It is common that people fleeing for their lives do not have access to passports, birth certificates or the usual forms of identification. The 1951 UN Convention recognises this and prohibits discrimination on these grounds. When asylum seekers currently register their claim they are issued with an ARC (Application Registration Card) card, which is commonly offered as proof of identification, age etc. This replaces the previous Standard Acknowledgment Letter (SAL), which may also be shown to schools. Children are entitled to a school place whatever their immigration status.
School Places
Many parents find it difficult to access places for their children at a school which is close to them, or to place all their children together. Many secondary-aged children can face long delays in finding a suitable place. It is important that schools move sensitively and quickly in making places available. There may sometimes be doubt about the age of a child. Decisions should be made after sensitive discussion with parents, based on what best meets the needs of the child at the time, particularly in transition between Key Stages.