St Bernard's Catholic Primary School

  1. Our Catholic Faith
  2. School of Sanctuary

School of Sanctuary

We first started our journey to become a school of sanctuary in the Spring of 2021. Since then, we have embraced ways to become a School of Sanctuary and have learned a great deal. This page is dedicated to documenting our journey on becoming a School of Sanctuary and keeping our parents, parish and wider community up-to-date with our latest achievements. 

 

What is a School of Sanctuary?

A School of Sanctuary is a school that is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all, especially those seeking a place of sanctuary. This could be people whose lives were in danger in their own country, who have troubles at home or are just looking for a safe space. A School of Sanctuary is a place that promotes a welcoming culture and a place of safety to those seeing sanctuary, including asylum-seeking and refugee families. It is a school that builds empathy and awareness of such issues and encourages children, parents, staff and the wider community to welcome those seeking sanctuary. 

A School of Sanctuary helps its school community to understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary and to extend a welcome to everyone as equal, valued members of the community. It is a school that is proud to be a place of safety and inclusion for all.

To show our SOLIDARITY with refugees every child in school created a paper chain link with a message of support and love. We created a giant paper chain which we displayed on the school railings on the main road for passers-by to see. 

Refugee Week 2023:
Our week began with a visit from Stories of Hope and Home. The children and staff were so moved by the experiences shared and we learned so much more about why we need to make a stand for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
Each class shared a  different text to inspire them to think about the lives of refugees and how we should support them. We reflected on what we might need to take with us if we had to leave our homes in a hurry. We thought about the wide range of emotions we would experience at leaving our homes and our families. We wrote letters to refugees and learnt about why people become refugees and asylum seekers.