As a school we are committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all and engaging with the local community to promote these values. With this in mind, we became a School of Sanctuary in 2017.
Schools of Sanctuary is a growing network with more than 350 primary and secondary schools all committed to supporting the thousands of young people seeking sanctuary in the UK, creating a culture of welcome, and raising awareness of the issues faced by refugees and asylum seekers.
Schools play a crucial role in helping young people to make sense of the world, to become responsible citizens and to create positive change in their communities. As of June 2020, there were 26 million refugees in the world according the UNHCR, approximately half of whom were children.
As a founding member of Norfolk Schools of Sanctuary we aim to:
- build understanding of the experiences of displaced people
- combat stereotypes about refugees and asylum seekers
- engage with our community’s history as places of sanctuary
- support local refugee communities
We support the ‘City of Sanctuary’ vision that the UK will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter, and agree to act in accordance with City of Sanctuary values and apply the network principles within our work (as far as our specific context enables us to).
We recognise the contribution of people seeking sanctuary. Sanctuary seekers are welcomed, included and supported within our context. We expect our branches or local groups (if any) to support their local City of Sanctuary group if one exists, and will facilitate contact between them and their local City of Sanctuary group.