School of Sanctuary

A School of Sanctuary is a place that promotes a welcoming and safe environment for individuals seeking refuge, including refugees and asylum seekers. It’s a commitment to understanding, empathy, and action, creating a space where everyone feels valued and respected.  

Our journey towards becoming a School of Sanctuary began in 2022 with a significant step: receiving Community Cohesion funding. This allowed us to host a vibrant festival celebrating Cultural Diversity, engaging our learners and feeder schools. This event ignited our commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all.

We partnered with GEMs, who delivered insightful sessions on Ukrainian paper crafts, seamlessly integrating them with our Humanities projects exploring forced migration and displacement through the concept of ‘Cynefin’. This collaboration deepened our understanding of the challenges faced by those seeking sanctuary.

Through continuous training and professional development, our staff have significantly enhanced their awareness and understanding of the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers. This knowledge has empowered us to create a more inclusive and supportive environment.

As a school, we have actively worked to embed a culture of welcome across the secondary phase. This is reflected in our Rights initiatives, our dedicated anti-bullying ambassador programme, and our calendared events that celebrate our shared humanity and the Welsh spirit of ‘croeso’ (welcome). These events include commemorating religious festivals and international celebratory days.

Our commitment extends to fundraising events throughout the year, driven by our Cultural Diversity student leaders, culminating in a focused celebration during Refugee Week in June. We consistently invite organisations like ‘Migrant Help UK’ to deliver workshops, educating our students about the realities of seeking sanctuary. We participated in a Blaenau-Gwent wide Holocaust survivor interview, preparing students on themes of displacement during WW2, further enhancing our understanding of historical and contemporary displacement.

A dedicated display in our school highlights the importance of School of Sanctuary, alongside our broader efforts to become an anti-racist school.

Our community engagement is a vital part of our journey. We have held workshops through our student-led ‘Sanctuary Craft’ initiative, which was showcased at our biannual ‘Ebbw Fest’ festival. This festival brought together the school community and the wider public in a fun-filled day of activities, fostering a sense of unity and understanding.

GEMs have continued to collaborate with our school, working closely with our EAL lead, and our governors have been actively involved in learning about our efforts to create a place of sanctuary. Our students have taken a leading role in creating and delivering a programme of workshops, promoting ideas of welcome and tolerance.

Through these combined efforts, we are determined to build a school where everyone feels safe, welcome, and valued, reflecting the true spirit of a School of Sanctuary.