How to Enable Families Fleeing from Danger to Feel Safe

Families who've fled war, persecution or violence often arrive with very little, no shared language and no information passed on to school. Some are living in a single hotel room with nowhere to cook or do homework. They're safe, but they may not feel it.

Small, practical things make the difference, and the ideas here come from 20 years in mainstream schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Find out which home language a family actually speaks, and whether they read it. Make sure the child has the same uniform, bag and pencil case as everyone else. Check in with parents too. One mum kept missing the school run because it was December and all she had were sandals. And at the gate, a smile and a thumbs up, or a quick phrase in a translation app, go a long way.