Leading Edge

Recommendations
1. Information: Parents need more information about the UK education system and how to access a school place when they first arrive.

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executive summary

The local education authority Welcome to Leeds information leaflet could be printed as a hard copy in other languages and disseminated widely through a variety of agencies.
2. Support: Improved levels of support would help newly arrived parents to access a school place for their child, reducing the time that children remain out of education. Support could

be provided through increasing the capacity of the local education authority admissions team and voluntary agencies such as The Childrens Society LEAP Programme
3. Induction: It will be helpful if all school inductions involve a tour of the school for both child and parent. 4. Access: Schools should consider ways to involve disabled parents in educational processes. Suggestions include; supporting parents

with transport arrangements, home visits, telephone calls and translating documents.
5. Use of interpreters: Best practice is to use a professionally trained and CRB checked interpreter without reliance on children to interpret for parents. While some schools offer professional interpreters, a more consistent approach across schools citywide needs to be adopted. 6. English as an additional language: It is important not to assume a parent does or does not understand English. Best practice would be to ask parents to identify their needs and involve a professional interpreter where required. If this is not possible, school staff can help

postcards sent from school to the home. Further suggestions include the use of interpreters at parents evening and support to understand the school report system. 8. UK education system: Schools to further explore programmes to increase parents knowledge and understanding of the UK education system. Information such as school

curriculum, GCSE options and assessment methods could be provided as part of the school induction, at one-off events for parents, through activities as part of extended schools, a Welcome DVD, or built into ESOL classes.
9. Engagement: Schools could develop ways to strengthen their engagement with refugee and asylum-seeking parents through involving them in school based activities. Examples include

Further information
The full report will be available at www.childrenssociety.org.uk from April 2010 For any queries regarding this report, please contact: The Childrens Society LEAP Programme Lower Ground Floor Cubic Business Centre 533 Stanningley Road Leeds LS13 4EN Tel: 0113 236 3900 Email: lpl@childrenssociety.org.uk Web: www.childrenssociety.org.uk The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of The Childrens Society

by being confident in their abilities, providing a welcoming and friendly reception at the initial induction and by being creative in how they communicate information. Examples could include, avoiding jargon, speaking clearly and at a steady pace, being patient, having open and friendly body language, using pictures and translation where appropriate.
7. Inclusion: Communication to parents regarding their childs educational attainment is strengthened creative and inclusive methods are used. Examples of existing good practice include: telephone calls and home visits after the first two weeks of a child starting school, school-based celebration events following the two-week induction programme, and well done

offering ESOL and IT classes, coffee mornings, promoting parent governor opportunities, and involving parents to co-lead or inform activities relating to international or refugee week. Such activities would empower parents, enhance mutual understanding and strengthen community cohesion.
10. Training: Staff training regarding specific experiences and needs of asylum seekers and refugees offered to all staff would contribute to their professional development as well as their relationships with families. An alternative to

training as part of an inset day would be self-guided learning using resources available from organisations such as The Childrens Society and The Refugee Council.
Charity Registration No. 221124 | Photographs modelled for The Childrens Society | Pierre-Franois Didek | Melissa Elsey

Include Us: strengthening communication and involvement of asylum seeking and refugee parents in high school education in Leeds

The Childrens Society is a leading childrens charity committed to making childhood better for all children in the UK. We take action to prevent, rescue and support children facing life trapped in a vicious circle of fear and harm; a vicious circle driven by violence, neglect, poverty and discrimination, which destroys childhood and wrecks community living. We give children the hope and confidence they need to face the future with optimism. We never turn away. The Childrens Society Leading Edge Initiative is a national programme delivered
from six sites across England. The Young Peoples Fund at the Big Lottery funds the Initiative until March 2010. The Initiative works in partnership with secondary schools and colleges in England. It delivers high quality, participative interventions that ensure refugees and asylum seekers feel safe, welcomed, included and able to achieve in their education.

Introduction
This document is a summary of the research study Include Us: strengthening communication and involvement of asylum seeking and refugee parents in high school education in Leeds. The study was carried out over a three-month period as part of the Childrens Society Leading Edge Initiative based at the LEAP Programme, Leeds. The study looks at the experiences of communication and involvement between refugee and asylum seeking parents and high school staff in Leeds. The findings are intended for anyone who works with refugee and asylum seeking and children and families in schools and stakeholders within local education authorities.

Key research findings

What parents told us
Parents would welcome further information about the UK education system when they first arrive. Some parents find the process of accessing a school place for their child difficult. Parents who received support in accessing a school place, for example from The Childrens Society Connexions PA, found the service extremely helpful. Increased information and support offered to parents is needed to help them access a school place, reducing the time that children spend missing education. Waiting a number of months for a school place can have a damaging effect on families.

What school staff told us Parents testimony

There was a lady who spoke Urdu at the school, she is also my neighbour. She spoke to me in Urdu at the induction meeting. My language is Farsi, I understand very little Urdu. They said they were not able to arrange an interpreter for me. They were asking me about my personal circumstances, my asylum case and why my son is scared at times. I know they were asking to find out about the personality of my son. I didnt feel comfortable talking about all these things because I do not know my neighbour that well.

Staff vary in their confidence to communicate with refugee and asylum seeking parents. Some staff have developed creative ways of communicating with parents such as using body language, pictures, translations and home visits. Staff felt that their school could improve the way it engaged with refugee and asylum seeking parents through offering activities such as ESOL classes, coffee mornings and providing more information about the education system. Some staff said their school uses professional interpreters. Some staff felt that professional interpreters should be available in their school. Schools sometimes use children to interpret for other children and parents. Staff who participated in the research did have an awareness of the specific needs and experiences of refugee and asylum seekers and how these impact on childrens general well being. School staff felt that there was a lack of awareness of the experiences and needs of asylum seeking and refugee children amongst colleagues. Many staff felt that training to increase understanding would be beneficial. Two staff members referred to a lack of time allocation and resources to meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees. One staff member said a clear flowchart of where to turn for additional help to meet the needs of asylum seeking and refugee children and families would be useful.

The Childrens Society LEAP Programme is based in Leeds and operates

across the city. LEAP stands for Listening, Empowerment, Advocacy and Participation and it works to listen to and promote the inclusion of disabled children as well as refugee and asylum seeking children and young people, particularly in education and within the community. We aim to raise awareness, promote diversity, and encourage inclusion and integration.

About the study

The study engaged with refugee and asylum seeking parents and high school staff across Leeds. A total of 36 parents and school staff were consulted, linked to 14 schools in Leeds. Further details of the methodology are available in the full report. The study provided parents and school staff with an opportunity to share their experiences. The study identifies learning points and makes recommendations to inform and strengthen practice in the future, improving outcomes for asylum seeking and refugee children and families.

Parents value the school induction. Schools might consider how they can still involve parents with access difficulties in the induction process. It would be helpful if schools invite every new parent and child to look around the school as part of their induction. As information was not always reaching parents, it would help if alternative ways of communicating information about the UK school system and curriculum could be found. Parents said they would find the following useful: information as part of an ESOL class, activities as part of extended services, one off events, a DVD. Parents would like to be offered a professional interpreter when they attend meetings with staff at school. This would enable effective two-way communication. Parents would like to be kept informed at every stage when incidents of bullying are being addressed. Where an incident of bulling arises, parents would like to be invited for a meeting, to have their voices heard. Parents vary in their confidence levels, some feel confident to contact school whilst others dont. One EAL co-ordinator visited or telephoned parent(s) after two weeks of a child starting school to update them on progress made. One parent described this as extremely helpful and reassuring. The use of interpreters at opening evening would encourage some parents to attend.

Some families have specific reasons why attending parents evening is difficult. Asylum law and policy results in the Home Office moving families around. Some families have been moved to a different part of the city, increasing the distance between home and school. Some parents need to care for younger children. This can make travelling to the school difficult and expensive. Disabled parents might not be able to travel to the school independently however they still value the opportunity to communicate with the school. Parents expressed the importance of knowing about their childs performance and general wellbeing at school. Parents valued the opportunity to meet with teachers and to receive information about the progress of their child. Some parents would like more information about their childs progress at schools. Some parents found it difficult to understand school reports and need help with this. Some parents do not feel confident to contact the school due to language rather than disinterest. Where effective communication and relationships were developed, parents were more likely to feel confident in contacting the school to discuss issues. This resulted in an appropriate level of support being offered and positive outcomes for children.

Parents testimony

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Acknowledgements
Sincere thanks to all parents and practitioners who gave their time to share experience, knowledge and opinions, as well as those who assisted in accessing participants, particularly colleague, Steve Richards. Thank you to Myfanwy Franks, Senior Researcher at The Childrens Society, for her advice and support at every stage of this study. Thank you to the interpreters involved, who provided a professional and valuable service. This summary was prepared by Nola Pugh with advice and support from Myfanwy Franks and Judith Shalkowski.

I would like to go to my daughters school. I would love to meet and speak to the teachers. I would like to go parents evening. Ive never been to my daughters school. I can't travel on public transport because of my disability. I personally think they should try to come and visit me. My daughter tells me a lot but I would like to hear directly from the teachers. If they cant visit or call me, even a letter would be useful. I can ask someone to help me translate it. It doesnt matter how they give me the information, it is just really important for me to know how she is doing, her progress, her behaviour.