Fourteen local schools have been awarded Sanctuary status in Norwich and nearby villages.
Each school helps its students, staff and the wider community understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary. Each aims to build an understanding of the experiences of displaced people and to combat the stereotypes which surround refugees and asylum seekers. They commit to being a safe and welcoming place for all, especially those seeking sanctuary. They also take time to look at Norwich’s own history of refugees to broaden students’ understanding.
Jake Rose-Brown from Avenue Junior School has taken the lead in setting up Schools of Sanctuary in Norwich. The work he’s done on the project has been shared nationally. He recently spoke at an Amnesty International conference in Liverpool and schools across the region are looking to follow the model he has put together. The project provides class resources, including lesson plans for schools who wish to also become Schools of Sanctuary. Interested schools can make contact through the website.
As part of his own school becoming a School of Sanctuary, his class made this film called ‘We Refugees’, based on a poem by Benjamin Zephaniah.
