School of Sanctuary Award

West Kirby School & College have achieved the School of Sanctuary Award. 

As a school we are committed to supporting our pupils developing community links and fostering an inclusive welcoming approach with awareness of those seeking safety. This is supported by our school values Be Kind & Be Respectful and also 'British Values' of democracy and mutual respect & tolerance. 

What is a School of Sanctuary?

A School of Sanctuary is a school that shows good practice in fostering a culture of welcome, belonging and solidarity for those seeking safety.

There are 3 key principles we need to evidence:

1. LEARN We help students, staff and wider community learn about what it means to be seeking sanctuary and the issues surrounding forced migration.
2. EMBED We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive culture of welcome that benefits everybody, including anyone in their community seeking sanctuary and working with people seeking sanctuary to co-produce their sanctuary efforts and practice.
3. SHARE We proudly share our values and activities with our local communities and work collaboratively to build our movement of welcome.

School of Sanctuary is awarded by City of Sanctuary UK.  It is a small refugee-sector charity that works to build a movement of welcome in the UK, standing in solidarity with people seeking safety.

What have we done so far?

• Over the last 5 years we have promoted understanding within our school community of refugees, asylum seekers and those affected by forced migration. We have achieved this through training, workshops, inclusion days & assemblies.
• We celebrate the annual Refugee Week - promoting the all-encompassing hardship of asylum seekers and refugees; along with how we can support them by fostering understanding, aid and respect to make Refugee families and individuals feel welcome.
• We have been working closely with local organisations within the community, including Asylum Link Merseyside, Heart4Refugees and other related charities. This has involved speaker visits, collections and donations. In line with the Equality and Diversity Act 2010, West Kirby School and College is committed to equal treatment of all people.