Resources
Resource List: The Policy Framework
Every Child Matters: Change for Children
Every Child Matters sets out a national framework for 150 local programmes of change to be led by Local Authorities and their partners. Represents a radical change in the whole system of children's services including shifting from intervention to prevention and services working together more effectively.
Aiming High: Guidance on Supporting the Education of Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children
(2004) DfES/0287/2004
This booklet is part of the 'Aiming High' campaign' and presents a good practice guide on Supporting the Education of Asylum Seeker Pupils.
The education of asylum-seeker pupils
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/ publications section
For this report, Ofsted surveyed 37 schools in 11 local education authorities (LEAs) to evaluate the impact of the arrival of pupils from asylum-seeker families. Talks about the positive impact of asylum seeking pupils on schools and gives useful case studies.
National Curriculum Inclusion Statement
http://www.nc.uk.net/inclusion.html
This statutory inclusion statement on providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils outlines how teachers can modify, as necessary, the National Curriculum programmes of study to provide all pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at each key stage. It sets out three principles that are essential to developing a more inclusive curriculum:
- setting suitable learning challenges
- responding to pupils' diverse learning needs
- overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils
Evaluating Educational Inclusion: guidance for inspectors and schools
(Nov 2000) http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.displayfile&id=459&type=pdf
This guidance aims to help inspectors and the governors and staff of schools, to identify what it means to be an inclusive school, and to diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of a school's practice in order to bring about improvements in this area.
With regard to how the school cares for its pupils, inspectors are asked to evaluate:
- how effectively the school inducts new pupils and ensures the needs of particular pupils are being met, for example, by supporting refugee pupils and recognising the effect of their education being interrupted.
- how well the school is informed about pupils' languages, cultures, values and customs.
- how well it makes links with parents or carers (if necessary using translators) and community organisations that support children and their families.
- how effectively the school supports children looked after by the local authority ( e.g. unaccompanied minors).
In relation to partnership with parents and carers, inspectors evaluate how schools:
- provide translations of school letters and documents.
- communicate with parents whose literacy skills are limited.
- draw in parents who may find it difficult to approach school.
- draw upon agencies and community interests to enhance learning.
Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000M
Learning for all: Standard for racial equality in schools (CRE)
http://www.cre.gov.uk/gdpract/ed.html
Schools have duty to promote good race relations and monitor the effect of their policies on different groups.
Managing Pupil Mobility (2002)
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.summary&id=65
This report details effective steps taken by schools to help manage high mobility levels, including:
- quickly forging good relationships with parents and carers and dealing effectively with issues of immediate concern
- giving new pupils information packs, prompt induction and explanations of school routines
- quickly obtaining information on attainment from pupils' previous schools and promptly disseminating this, together with the outcome of assessments of new pupils on arrival, to their new teachers
- placing new pupils in appropriate teaching groups, taking account of the subject options secondary school pupils had taken at their previous schools
- preparing existing pupils for the new arrivals
- discussing schemes of work with new pupils to establish their familiarity with the work and establishing what needs to be done to fill any gaps in knowledge
Pathways to Learning for New Arrivals
http://www.qca.org.uk/8476.html
Sections included:
- Home page - principles of good practice
- Who are international new arrivals?
- Rights and entitlements
- Race Equality and Inclusion Guidance
- Local Education Authorities
- Whole school issues
- Teaching and learning
- The Curriculum
A Language in Common: Assessing English as an Additional Language
Government guidelines on assessing EAL
English as an Additional Language. Induction training for teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools
(Sept 2002) DfES (Ref. DfES/0583/2002/01)
See also:
Integration Matters: A National Strategy for Refugee Integration
Home Office 2004
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/news/archive/2004/july/a_national_strategy.html
Community Cohesion Standards for Schools
Home Office 2004
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1502612
Immigration and Asylum Act: Home Office 1999
Set up the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), introduced dispersal and set support for asylum seekers at 70% of Income Support
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/infocentre/asylumlaw/99_act/99_act.htm
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act: Home Office 2002
Removed the right of asylum seekers to work, introduced Section 55, and outlined plans for accommodation centres
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/infocentre/nia_act2002/intro.htm
Asylum and Immigration Act: Home Office 2004
Introduced substantial changes to the appeals process and asylum support, and created new penalties for people who arrive in the UK without valid documentation.
Refugee Council briefing:
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/infocentre/asylumlaw/proposals_2003/2004_act.htm