Supporting Refugees in Schools

All refugee children are not the same. Some display significant psychological problems, but for many, presentations are very different. It’s important to take time to use observation to clarify the needs of each child. It means taking a step back and allowing children to come into a school context where they can feel safe and where they have access to a daily routine again.

School is the best medicine for these children. Staff need to move towards a sense of empowerment, knowing that there is much that they can do and are currently doing to successfully integrate refugee children. Many are now trauma-informed and make use of a range of strategies to ensure the inclusion of all children. They know how to ensure that context and curricula do not trigger previous trauma.

There are simple and practical things that we can do to help children integrate. Ensuring that signs and labels appear in home languages is a given while ensuring access to educators who can support them in learning the new language. You cannot feel safe and integrated if you do not understand what is going on. Children want to fit in and feel “normal” again. This checklist is a starting point for those supporting them.

          Establish help and support

• find out what’s available from agencies working with refugees

• Share best-practice with those already supporting refugees

• access refugee parents to assist in support and translation

• Ensure adequate training in trauma so that staff feel empowered

• identify local charities that can provide practical material

Provide induction

• Respect the right to silence. Some don’t want to talk about recent events

• Provide therapeutic spaces and adults for children who want to talk

• Meet religious and dietary requirements

• Ensure they know who is supporting them and how to find them

• check on well-being and provide safe spaces

• Establish channels to keep parents updated

Make use of the skills of other children

• Provide introductions to other same-language pupils and families

• Provide a buddy system including older more familiar refugee children

• Involve other pupils in jointly making a record, book or film with the child to take home and share

• ensure they have practical resources to support homework

Establish a safe and inclusive climate

• be sensitive to religious and dietary needs

• Ensure discussions about refugees are included in the curriculum

• Use other refugee children to support learning

• encourage use of home languages

• Use correct and precise language that is easy to understand

Provide an accessible curriculum

• Make purposes and goals clear

• Use creative resources such as drama, puppets mime photographs et cetera

• support literacy and English language skills at the earliest opportunity

• Use bilingual dictionaries and web-based translators

• Use resources with strong visual content

• Make a wide variety of mathematical apparatus available

• provide audiovisual and ICT tools

Classroom organisation

• pair refugee children with other children and young people as language models

• Encourage the sharing of artefacts from home so that they can share stories, interests, and hobbies

• discuss common experiences of change, moving home, or being frightened

• Prioritise interactive language activities which speed up English language acquisition

• Emphasise listening and speaking skills using everyday items

Dr Tina Rae- author of:

“Understanding and Supporting Refugee Children and Young People”

“Refugee Discussion Cards”