INSET sessions: education

"Good Practice for refugees is good practice for all pupils." Lynne Knight - Trainer

For more information on any of these courses or to make a booking, contact Sarah Reynolds

Introduction: the background and issues

Where have refugee children come from?
What might they have experienced, in their own country and in the UK?
How might they be feeling? What are the implications for schools?

In this session we examine some of the major causes of flight, discuss the experience of some refugees, and unpick the legal situation on arrival in the UK as it influences the lives of children in our schools.

The session will be a mix of information giving and discussion, based around case studies and activities which can be adapted for the classroom. Detailed handouts will ensure that staff are empowered to follow up the work in their own setting.

Successful inclusion: the importance of the initial welcome

First impressions are the most important, and set the tone for all future communication. How can schools ensure that they are giving the right message, and effectively exchange the necessary information with families? How can we ensure that the child settles in and begins learning as quickly as possible?

In this session we provide a framework for schools to evaluate their current procedures, and provide space to discuss examples of good practice.

Parental involvement: how to reach refugee parents

There may be many reasons why it is difficult to engage refugee parents in their children's education, and yet their involvement in school life is an effective means of ensuring educational success and improving the children's well being.

In this session we aim to identify potential barriers and offer tried and tested methods to overcome them. These include:

a welcoming ethos
effective communication
creating opportunities
creating supportive networks

Refugees in the curriculum: activities for Literacy, Citizenship and PHSE

In today's world, all children need to begin to understand the complex reasons that people are driven to leave their country and everything that is familiar. While Refugee Week is an excellent time to examine this in depth, there are also plenty of opportunities throughout the curriculum to discuss the issues further. And yet for teachers touching on these issues for the first time, it can seem a little daunting.

In this session we will look at some of the excellent resources currently available, and how we can work with these with our pupils, whether they are refugees or not.

The session will be very practical: by doing the activities ourselves we can build up our confidence, discussing any potential problems as well as possibilities for further development. Detailed handouts will ensure that staff are empowered to follow up the work in their own setting.

Helping troubled children: what you can do and where to look for support

Most refugee children show great resilience despite the many adversities they have faced. For these children, simply being at school can help begin the healing process: there is stability and normality, they can forget their worries for a while, and they can experience success and feel hope for the future. There will be some however, for whom this is not enough.

In this course will explore some of the issues and provide practical strategies to help provide the necessary emotional support for refugee children. These include:

Circle time
Story telling
Art and Drama
A Safe Space

We will also help to identify those children for whom extra support is necessary, and discuss how this can be managed.

School Governors: what you need to know

What do schools do to help meet the needs of children just arriving in the country, some of whom may have little or no English, and may have been through traumatic events? How should governors monitor their school's management of social inclusion?

This session will help governors understand:

the principles of social inclusion
their role in promoting and monitoring inclusion
how schools seek to support these children.

The session will be a mix of information giving and discussion, based around case studies and activities which explain the issues in a clear and informative way. Detailed handouts will ensure that governors are empowered to follow up the work in their own setting.

Teaching Assistants: how you can help

Teaching assistant and bilingual assistants are often in the position of offering much of the day to day support for refugee and asylum seeker pupils in school, both emotional and in accessing the curriculum. What are your concerns? And how can you make the best possible use of your valuable time with the children?

This session can be very flexible, depending on the requirements and experience of the staff involved, but is always very practical and explains the issues in a clear and informative way.

Supporting bilingual pupils: accessing the curriculum

Refugee pupils who are unable to speak English feel isolated and vulnerable because they are unable to mix with their peers or make friends. Even with a little English, they can feel frustrated at not being able to achieve the results they are used to in their work. It is obviously crucial to support the acquisition of fluency and literacy in English as quickly as possible.

In this session we will look at techniques to promote access to the full curriculum, while supporting the rapid acquisition of English. We will also discuss how this support can be organised in schools to make the best use of limited resources.