'Every migrant has a name, a face, and a story' - Pope Francis

“As a community we aim to grow in communion with each other and with God. We aspire for every member of our school to become daily more like Jesus, filled with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, allowing them to live life to the full, in hope and joy, transforming the world around them and bearing fruit that will last." 

Final part of St Peter’s Catholic School mission statement

St Peter’s School has been working towards the national School of Sanctuary award. This award is aimed at helping schools to develop further the concept that schools are welcoming places for pupils and their families, where every child feels safe, where they are fully accepted. These schools will become beacons in the community as places where cultural diversity is valued and celebrated.

What is a School of Sanctuary?

• A place that fosters a culture of welcome and safety for people seeking sanctuary, including asylum seeking and refugee families.
• Educates the whole school community about the human right to sanctuary and identifies practical means for schools to demonstrate that commitment.
• Builds empathy and intercultural awareness through promoting the voices and contributions of people seeking sanctuary, encouraging an understanding of the experiences of displaced people and helping to combat stereotypes.

Working together as a School of Sanctuary provides schools with a powerful focus for possible development in areas such as:

• Meeting the requirements of the Equality Act 2010
• Imaginative re-engagement with required curriculum areas such as literacy, language arts, geography, history, humanities
• Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural education and ‘British Values’
• Building a school culture that reduces intolerance, hate speech and bullying
• Building an inclusive and supportive school community
• Increasing pupil voice and promoting active & engaged citizenship
• Engaging families and strengthening the school’s role in the local community
• Improving the provision of English as an additional language in school
• Helping improve pupil outcomes and attendance – students that feel safe and included will be more likely to attend schools
• Promoting well-being and community cohesion by building empathetic school environments

MYTH BUSTING

WHY DO PEOPLE BECOME REFUGEES?

People become refugees for a number of different reasons, including: Persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. For well over a decade, the number of people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution has steadily increased.

Some useful terminology:

Asylum seeker 

Someone who leaves their homeland and arrives in another country. They make themselves known to the government and submit an ‘asylum application’ so they can be seen as a refugee in another country. They have a legal right to stay in the country while their application is processed. 

Refugee 

Someone who has proven to the government that they would be at risk if returned to their home country. They have had their application for asylum accepted by the government. They can now stay there either long-term or indefinitely. 

Migrant 

Someone who has left or fled their home to go to new places to seek opportunities or safer and better prospects. This term can mean anyone who has left their country for any reason. 

Organisation Pledge

We support the ‘City of Sanctuary’ vision that the UK will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter, and agree to act in accordance with City of Sanctuary values and apply the network principles within our work (as far as our specific context enables us to).

We recognise the contribution of people seeking sanctuary. Sanctuary seekers are welcomed, included and supported within our context. We expect our branches or local groups (if any) to support their local City of Sanctuary group if one exists, and will facilitate contact between them and their local City of Sanctuary group.