ITE session

Teaching new arrivals

To increase awareness of the reasons new arrivals from overseas join schools at non-standard times

To look at effective practice in supporting refugee and asylum seeker new arrivals

Aims

Viewing the online promotional film for SHARED Futures, showing ways schools across the UK welcome and support young refugee new arrivals.

See: www.sharedfutures.org.uk/chapter1.html

Pre-session activity discussion feedback

Main groups of international new arrivals

EU and EEA nationalsFormer refugees from other EU countriesFamilies coming to work or joining parent in workFamily reunionAsylum seekersUnaccompanied or separated childrenReturning from extended visit overseas

Schools’ legal responsibilities Right to education LAs and schools have to comply with the Race

Relations Act 1976 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000

Schools must monitor the attainment of different groups of pupils

Schools have a duty to promote community cohesion

Local authorities must promote the educational achievement of looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum seeker children

Teachers must respond to pupils’ diverse learning needs, and provide opportunities for all pupils to achieve, including refugees and asylum seekers

The Convention on the Rights of the ChildAdopted by UN General Assembly 20 November 1989, Ratified by United Kingdom 16 December 1991

KEY PRINCIPLESArticle 1: The CRC defines ‘child’ as anyone ‘below

the age of eighteen years. CRC rights apply to all children.

Article 2: All rights in the Convention apply without any discrimination of any kind - race, colour, language, religion, national, ethnic or social origin, disability or other status.

Article 3: The best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children.

Article 22: The right of refugee children to appropriate protection and humanitarian assistance.

Article 10: The right to be reunited with parents.Article 12: The right of children to an opinion and to

have that opinion taken into account, in any matter or procedure affecting the child.

Articles 26 & 27: The right to benefit from social security and the right to a standard of living adequate for proper development.

Article 30: The right to enjoy his/her own culture, practice his/her own religion and use his/her own language.

Article 39: The right, if the victim of armed conflict, torture, neglect or maltreatment to receive appropriate support for physical and psychological reintegration into society.

Activity 1

Key challenges

Models of LA provision

HolisticEALBMENew arrivalsRace equalityVulnerable children

(Ref. Arnot and Pinson 2005)

Paying attention only to certain aspects of newly arrived children’s needs, even if resulting provision is of good quality, may be ineffective because other unacknowledged factors are impeding their engagement and achievement.

New Arrivals Excellence Programme: Primary and Secondary National Strategies

Key Guidance

www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/inclusion/neap_guidance

Pathways to learning for new arrivals (QCA)

www.qca.org.uk/newarrivals

NRIF Refugee integration: good practice in education settingswww.nrif.org.uk

The role of the school

To provide:a welcoming, safe and stress-free environmentopportunities to work with peers and make

friendsa place where they are valued and belongrecognition of their skills and talentsthe chance to quickly feel part of the

communitya normal learning environmentaccessible learning opportunitiessupport for wider needs

Things that refugee young people say help them

Having friendships and people to trust Caring, supportive and friendly teachers who

are confident and interested in teaching children and young people from diverse backgrounds

Being included in all activities Opportunities to do activities with refugee and

non-refugee peers, both in and out of schoolBeing in a school that values and celebrates

other cultures

Teachers need to:Engage refugee pupils with a relevant

curriculum Develop effective teaching and learning

strategies and make early interventions to tackle underachievement

Promote the participation of refugee pupils in all aspects of school life and the involvement of parents where their views are actively sought

The critical test of inclusion

Managing transition Adaptation is a mutual process Schools must be willing to make

changes

A positive inclusive ethos recognises the support needed for refugees. A positive ethos where belonging and identity is supported may more readily be achieved in a situation where the young people and staff come from a diverse range of ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds.

A positive ethos

Activity 2

Safe, settled and valued

Key areas of effective practice

A welcoming environment

‘Me and the children were the only Africans there – everybody is staring at us and nobody said hello. It’s such a small thing, but it affects you so much.’

Refugee mother interview in Invisible pupils: the experience of refugee pupils in Scottish schools by Joan Stead et.al

Good induction practice Learn the procedures Alleviate initial anxietiesHelp the pupil to settleMonitor progress Have high expectationsTake decisive action on bullying and

racism

Before the pupil arrives in class

It’s good to know in advanceFind out key information

Useful informationFirst (and other) languagesExposure to EnglishLiteracy in L1Schooling (UK & abroad)Curriculum skills Interests, achievements and aspirationsImportant experiencesLearning difficultiesWider needsWho to go to for advice

Before the pupil arrives….Its useful to know something about the

education system in the country a child has come from.

www.qca.org.uk/newarrivals

Five ways to help children and young people feel safe and welcome

1. Talk to the class/Tutor group about a new pupil before his/her first day

2. Pronounce the pupil’s name correctly3. Develop peer support and social

support4. Promote activities that can help

develop understanding and skills5. Give new arrivals early responsibilities

Activating prior knowledge

Activating prior knowledge helps create links between what is known in the first language with the new learning, either linguistic or curricular

Research indicates that fluency in the home language helps pupils achieve in English

Five ways to support use of home languages1. Make labels, signs and displays2. Encourage talk about things read, written

or watched in other languages3. Involve parents and multilingual members

of staff4. Encourage peer learning activity

discussion and role play in LI where appropriate

5. Encourage use of bilingual dictionaries, dual language and mother tongue books

Acquiring EAL – key principles

EAL learners’ right of accessA secure environment where pupils are

valued, low anxiety levels and high expectations

EAL learners acquire English best through interaction with other users of English

The first language has an important role in the acquisition of additional language

Cognitively challenging learning experiences

Planning for EAL learners

Part of whole class approach Relevant, motivating and culturally

inclusive learning contextsOpportunities for speaking and listeningConsideration to language demands,

maximising visual supportActivating prior learningEAL Staff involved in planning

Listening in, not tuning out

Plan activities that allow new arrivals to:Listen in to peer talkDo practical activities where they can use

English safely

Group and collaborative activities

Tasks that involve purposeful use of language

For example sorting and organising information

The role of support staff

Support staff are central to helping newly-arrived children get off to a good start. They help by:

Getting to know pupils Visiting families Integrating newly-arrived pupils into school and

classroom life Facilitating pupils’ acquisition of English Acting as an advocate for pupils from a

knowledge of their strengths and skills

Working with parents

“In the case of mobile children, parents/carers become the force for continuity, and the importance of parental involvement in protecting children from any adverse effects of mobility (needs to be) stressed.”

Pupil Mobility, Attainment and Progress During Key Stage 1: a study in cautious interpretation. S. Strand (NFER-NELSON) in British Education Research Journal Vol. 28 No 1 2002

QTS Standards

Relationships with children and young peopleQ1: Have high expectations of children and young

people.

Achievement and diversity:Q19: Know how to make effective personalised

provision for those they teach, including EAL learners, and how to take account of diversity and teach inclusively.

Q20: Know and understand the roles of colleagues with specific responsibilities.

QTS StandardsHealth and well-being:Q21: (b) Be able to identify and support those whose

progress, development or well-being is affected by difficulties in personal circumstances.

Teaching:Q25: (a) use a range of teaching strategies and

resources, taking practical account of diversity and promoting equality and inclusion.

(b) build on prior knowledge, develop concepts and processes.

(c) adapt their language to suit the learners they teach.

Further activityWrite a case study on a newly arrived child or young person in your school setting. Information should include:

a) Background information on the child’s prior learning and experiences

b) Information on the child’s accomplishments/achievements and progress

c) Information on some of the barriers encountered by the child and how he/she is surmounting them

d) The child’s own perspectives

e) Suggested areas/approaches for further interventions to support the child’s integration and achievement