Schools of Sanctuary
In July 2022 Holy Family School became an accredited School of Sanctuary.
An accredited School of Sanctuary is one that has received recognition from City of Sanctuary UK or a partner organisation in the form of a Sanctuary Award for its good practice in fostering a culture of welcome and inclusion.
What is a School of Sanctuary?
A School of Sanctuary is a school that is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for those seeking sanctuary. It is a space for those whose lives were in danger in their own country, who have troubles at home or are just looking for a space where they can feel safe.
A School of Sanctuary is a school that helps its students, staff and wider community to understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary and to extend a welcome to everyone as equal, valued members of the school community. It is a school that is proud to be a place of safety and inclusion for all.
Schools of Sanctuary is an initiative which aims to:
- Promote positive attitudes within schools and their communities around people seeking sanctuary.
- Support schools to take positive steps and to be proud of being places of safety and inclusion for all.
- Recognise and celebrate schools that are committed to welcoming and supporting people seeking sanctuary.
What Did We Do?
To be eligible for the award, we had to demonstrate that we had implemented three key principles:
- LEARN – As a school we help students, staff and wider community learn about what it means to be seeking sanctuary and the issues surrounding forced migration.
- EMBED – We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive culture of welcome that benefits everybody, including anyone in their community seeking sanctuary.
- SHARE – We share our values and activities with our local community.
We will keep you up to date with events on our website and Twitter pages as we continue our work supporting refugees and asylum seekers, as well as supporting Schools of Sanctuary.