School of Sanctuary
School of Sanctuary
As a school, we are working towards becoming a School of Sanctuary. But what does this mean?
School of Sanctuary is a national network of over 300 primary and secondary schools all committed to creating a culture of welcome and inclusion for refugees and people seeking asylum.
Being a 'School of Sanctuary,' means welcoming and supporting refugees along with people from all different backgrounds. We want to educate the children at our school about the human right to sanctuary and help them make sense of the world so that they can become responsible citizens and to create positive change in their communities. As a 'School of Sanctuary,' we strive to build an inclusive and supportive school community, which helps the most needy and vulnerable.
What is a School of Sanctuary?
- A place that fosters a culture of welcome and safety for people seeking sanctuary, including asylum seeking and refugee families.
- Educates the whole school community about the human right to sanctuary and identifies practical means for schools to demonstrate that commitment.
- Builds empathy and intercultural awareness through promoting the voices and contributions of people seeking sanctuary, encouraging an understanding of the experiences of displaced people and helping to combat stereotypes
What are we doing to become a school of Sanctuary?
All of our learning at OLSK is rooted in our Gospel Virtues and Catholic Social Teaching but we are committed to turning this learning into action.
Keep up with our ongoing journey to achieving School of Sanctuary below!
27.6.22 We are taking part in Refugee Week this week at OLSK! (A week late due to y6 residential). Miss Meese and Mrs Smith volunteered at the Welcome Group this afternoon with is a local organisation supporting asylum seekers and refugees! We had the chance to help out, talk to people who use their services and offer support and advice.
Today was such an exciting day. Our Caritas Ambassadors were commissioned by Bishop David and trained by Sister Judith to put our faith into practical action. We are committed to making a difference to the most vulnerable people in our community and can’t wait to start our projects to help refugees and asylum seekers in out local area.
Today we invited our local Mp James Morris into school to tell him about our new Caritas Ambassador group and what we are striving to do to help refugees and asylum seekers in our local area. We interviewed him about current affairs we have seen in the news such as the Nationality and Border Act and whether he thought new laws were just.
As part of our Lenten preparation, our families donated children’s clothes and shoes for the Halesowen Welcome Group. Thank you to everyone for their generosity! ❤️🙏🏾
Today our Caritas Ambassadors met to prepare a speech to share with parishioners in church. They are going to talk about upcoming fundraising for the welcome group, what we are doing in school to support them and to invite them to our refugee week art exhibition!
Today we presented our speech in church to the parishoners in our community. We told them about the current state of affairs for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and explained what we plan to do to help. We also invited them to join us in our Refugee Week art exhibition to raise money for Halesowen Welcome Group!
