England
Applied ethnopoetic analysis, poetic inquiry and a practice of vulnerability: uncovering and undoing the vulnerabilities of refugees and asylum seekers seeking access to Higher Education
This paper discusses the experience of four refugee and asylum seekers seeking access to Higher Education. The methodological framework intersects applied ethnopoetic analysis and poetic inquiry, underpinned by Freirean, Translanguaging dialogue. The approach foregrounds participants’ voices to address a structural refusal to recognise the repertoires of multilingual marginalised participants. The paper deals with two types of vulnerability: vulnerability imposed on…
2024
Representing vulnerable, Syrian migrant children’s insights: Testimonies of inclusion and exclusion in schooling
This chapter describes the words of Syrian migrant young people in two different contexts, taking a human rights framework. One human right that we focus on is the right for children to voice their views and concerns and have these acted on. We provide a background section on the Syrian political situation and its impact on Lebanon, to foreground the…
2023
Pockets of positivity: School leaders’ strategies for developing school inclusion for students with refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds
Currently, millions of children and families with refugee and asylum-seeker experiences find themselves living in new countries, with different languages, dissimilar cultures, diverse expectations, and different forms of schooling. For school leaders, the challenge of integrating these students and their families, some of whom may have endured and be dealing with trauma and loss, can be challenging. This paper presents…
2023
Conceptualising the art of belonging for young refugees and asylum-seekers: Reflections from England and Sweden
The concept of belonging has grown in prominence in research and policy relating to new arrivals from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. Arguably, belonging is replacing integration and inclusion as the panacea to perceived problems associated with places and societies where new arrivals settle. Belonging is also prominent in the literature about formal and informal educational contexts. This paper problematises the…
2024
Education policy and refugees in England and Germany: Racist nativism and the reproduction of white supremacy
This paper argues that education policy in England and Germany racialises young refugees and asylum seekers and contributes to upholding white supremacy in the education system. Previous research in both countries has shown that education policy reproduces race inequality, and in England, it has been argued that education policy itself is an act of white supremacy. However, to date there…
2023
Educators’ attitudes towards refugee pupils: Intergroup contact and virtuous circles
Educators’ attitudes are a key factor in the practices they enact, their expectations for pupils, and outcomes for pupils. For newly arrived refugee and asylum-seeking children, education is known to play a crucial role in the settling-in process. This study uses survey data (n = 295) and case studies of 17 educators at two schools in England to examine the…
2023
Recognising the newcomer: Education policy and teaching practices in Norway and England
Education policies in different countries recognise the needs and abilities of newcomer students in different ways, with consequences for their social inclusion and academic progress at school. We highlight the importance of context to debates around the politics of recognition in newcomer education by drawing on qualitative research in Norwegian and English secondary schools. Taylor’s (1994) political theory of “recognition”…
2023
Territorial variance in the UK’s refugee politics and its consequences: Young Syrian refugees in England and Scotland
Access to social rights is crucial to refugee settlement and integration, and a whole range of social policy measures determine the limits on those rights. In the United Kingdom (UK) various relevant social policies are divided into devolved and reserved categories. This has resulted in a distinct territorial variance in social rights and welfare provisions within the country. The aim…
2023
Online schooling and the digital divide: Challenges and opportunities for migrant students’ educational inclusion
This research note presents the key findings of a small-scale, mixed-methods international study which explored the challenges and opportunities of online schooling for the educational inclusion of Newly Arrived Migrant and Refugee Students (NAMRS). The study was conducted in 2022 in England, Germany and the Netherlands and the findings are based on the analysis of the experiences of NAMRS, their…
2024
Supporting the educational integration of young people seeking asylum and refuge: Examining good practices from Germany, Sweden and England
The educational integration of Newly Arrived Migrant and Refugee (NAMR) children and youth in a host country is complex. It requires educational systems responding to their diverse needs. Some of these needs are exacerbated by NAMR young people and their families’ limited understanding of the host country’s policies, structures, and procedures. Amidst these complexities, policy makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders…
2024
Funds of knowledge: Towards an asset-based approach to refugee education and family engagement in England
This paper reports findings from a doctoral study that investigated how young refugees and their families encounter England's education system. All children have the right to education in England; however, there are no specific educational policies for young refugees' education. Their invisibility in policy makes it more challenging for them to access appropriate support and contributes to them being portrayed…
2024
Engaging in critical consciousness in social work education: reflections from a student-academic international refugee activist project
Engaging in critical consciousness has been central for anti-oppressive practice in social work education. This article presents reflections on migration and (anti-) oppressive social work practices based on a student-academic activist project beginning in the North-East (NE) of England. The project involved MA social work students and two academics from a NE university, organizing a series of events aimed at…
2023
Exploring the place of adult learning for refugees and asylum seekers in migration policy for integration in England and Scotland
Learning, particularly learning English is presented as a key part of integration for adult migrants in the UK. England and Scotland differ in how their policy approaches to integration include adult learning. This article aims to explore and uncover the ways in which adult education, particularly for refugees and asylum seekers is embedded and included in policy for integration of…
2023
Finding Their Way The Journey to University for Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Young people in Coventry
This research report explores the journey to higher education for refugee and asylum-seeking young people living in Coventry. It is the product of a partnership between Refugee Education UK and the University of Warwick's English and Comparative Literary Studies Department. The qualitative research study explores the barriers to university facing refugee and asylum-seeking young people in Coventry, and reveals the…
2022
Educators’ interactions with refugee pupils: knowledge, attitudes, and practices
The value of school for refugee and asylum seeking children is well established, in terms of their right to education under international law, their socio-emotional well-being, and their adaptation to living in a new country and culture. Yet there is a critical gap in our understanding of refugee education from the perspectives of educators – the people who interact with…
2022
Educators’ positive practices with refugee pupils at two schools in England
Extensive evidence indicates that education is an integral part of the settling in process for refugee and asylum-seeking children. Furthermore, it has been suggested that positive teaching practice with refugee pupils should be asset-based and holistic in nature. The present study examines educators' positive practices with refugee pupils and explores factors that shape these practices. Data were collected through participant…
2022
Educational provision for newly arrived unaccompanied sanctuary seekers aged 15–16
Local Authorities in England are rarely able to find a school place for newly arrived unaccompanied sanctuary seekers when the young person arrives in their locality aged 15–16. Criticisms regarding this exclusionary practice are plentiful; that said, it has been argued the dominance of debate regarding access to mainstream education for pupils aged 15–16 obfuscates critical analysis of the educational…
2022
Understanding the experiences of school belonging amongst secondary school students with refugee backgrounds
Research into refugee students’ settlement in host countries highlights school belonging as essential to their wellbeing and academic achievement. This research aimed to understand how secondary school refugee students experience school belonging in the North East of England. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to understand the views of refugee students. Four superordinate themes were developed: agency, participation, safety and separation.…
2022
Practitioners’ perspectives and needs: Developing skills to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASCs) in experiencing ‘belonging’ in English educational spaces
This article builds on Yuval-Davis’s (2006, 2007, 2011) theories of belonging, in order to relay how practitioners can support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASCs) in developing a positive sense of belonging in educational spaces in England. To do so, the article synthesises literature surrounding theories of belonging, UASCs’ educational access in England and practices supporting UASCs’ educational attainment and sense of…
2022
SIRIUS Watch 2021: Towards inclusive digital education for migrant children
SIRIUS Watch 2021 presents trends and developments on the effects of digitalisation in education on migrant children both pre- COVID-19 and during COVID-19. It will build on national and EU-level research, as well as the results of the SIRIUS Online Digital Workshop. The results include a clear framework of challenges and recommendations to support the development of an inclusive digital…
2021
The educational outcomes of refugee and asylum-seeking children in England
New research from the Education Policy Institute, supported by Unbound Philanthropy, finds that asylum-seeking children who enter the UK separated from their parents are on average over three years behind non-migrant children at school by the time they take their GCSEs. The new EPI working paper, which is the first study to examine the educational outcomes of the majority of…
2021
The impact of educational achievement on the integration and wellbeing of Afghan refugee youth in the UK
An unprecedented number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) have arrived in Europe over the last decade, and young Afghans account for the highest proportion of UASC across England, Scotland and Wales. Despite a wealth of UK policies aimed at ensuring positive outcomes for young people who have been through the care-system, and a rich body of research exploring the…
2021
Previous experience, trickle-down training and systemic ad hoc-ery: educators’ knowledge acquisition when teaching refugee pupils in one local authority in England
Schools play a key role in the lives of young refugees and asylum seekers, yet it is unclear to what extent educators are prepared to effectively teach this population. In this study, we examined how educators acquire knowledge relevant to teaching refugee pupils through a survey (n = 295) and nestled case studies of 17 teachers at two schools in England. Educators…
2021
Understanding networks of actors involved in refugee access to higher education in Canada, England and France: A digital comparative approach
In times of intense migrations, securing a brighter future through education has become a growing concern in many societies. In particular, access to higher education for refugees has been the object of multiple initiatives among governments, civil society and non-government organisations. However, only 3 per cent of refugees access higher education, and there is a need to better understand, support…
2021
Theorising policy and practice in refugee education: Conceptualising ‘safety’, ‘belonging’, ‘success’ and ‘participatory parity’ in England and Sweden
Across the world, children are forced to leave their homes for far-flung destinations. This global phenomenon has particular impact in Europe, where there are now more child refugees than since World War II. Education plays an important role for children with extraordinary experiences seeking to build meaningful lives in their new context. This article offers a new theoretical approach to…
2021
Extending the Welcome: The Role of University–Community Partnerships in Supporting Refugees in England
As issues around refugee rights have come to public attention following the surge in asylum application in Europe in 2015, several responses have been developed by universities in England to extend the welcome to refugees in both local communities and on their campuses. While some institutions act on their own, others have created social relationships and collaborations with local and…
2020
Refugee Education: Theorising Practice in Schools
In the last five years, more child refugees have made perilous journeys into Europe than at any point since the Second World War. Once refugee children begin to establish their new lives, education becomes a priority. However, access to high-quality inclusive education can be challenging and is a social justice issue for schools, policymakers and for the research community. Underpinned…
2020
Education transitions for refugee and asylum-seeking young people in the UK: Exploring the journey to further and higher education
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) enshrines the right to education for all children. This right is not suspended when children are forced to flee their home countries. Amidst the uncertainty and adversity of forced displacement, education is a source of hope, a space of safety and a gateway to opportunities for the future. Yet…
2020
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: Childhood, agency and integration
This thesis investigates the practices and understandings of integration of asylum-seekers, under 18, who arrive in the UK without parent, guardian or carer. The recognition of children as active participants in society is widespread across the social sciences, yet this critical enquiry into the integration of unaccompanied minors brings new understandings concerning the form and complexities of agency. Unaccompanied minors…
2020
The neglected minority: Higher education opportunities for refugee background students in England and Poland
At the end of 2018, there were almost 26 million refugees and 3.5 million asylum seekers worldwide. Only an estimated 3% currently have access to higher education (HE) (UNHCR, 2019). While international organisations have begun addressing this HE access issue, the body of relevant research remains relatively underdeveloped. Using a qualitative simultaneous multimethod research design (Morse, 2003), employing both quantitative…
2020
Participatory parity in schooling and moves towards ordinariness: a comparison of refugee education policy and practice in England and Sweden
Within the current global refugee crisis this paper emphasises the fundamental role of education in facilitating the integration of young new arrivals. It argues that a humanitarian problem of such scale requires a commensurate humanitarian response in the form of socially-just educational policies and practices in resettlement contexts within Europe. Utilising the theoretical concepts, ‘participatory parity’ (Fraser) and ‘resumption of…
2020
Higher education as a space for promoting the psychosocial well-being of refugee students
Objective: This study aimed to investigate how well a single higher education institution (HEI) was perceived to be meeting the psychosocial support needs of refugee students and to identify possible ways in which the HEI might better promote refugee students’ psychosocial well-being. Design: Adopting an exploratory, focused case study design, the research employed a qualitative interpretive approach utilising three data…
2019
Conceptualising educational provision for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in England
The right to education for all children, including asylum-seeking children, is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, there is little research available to describe the educational provision provided to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in England. Crucially, it is not known whether the educational needs are met by the provision available to UASC. In the…
2019
Education for refugee and asylum seeking children: Access and quality in England, Scotland and Wales
In 2017, UNICEF UK commissioned research to understand how far refugee and asylum-seeking children are currently accessing their right to education in the UK. For children on the move who come to the UK, education is one of the first and most critical services they need access to. This report, produced by Refugee Support Network, provides an up-to-date overview of…
2018
Concluding thoughts
This concluding chapter brings together the voices of both authors and reflects upon the learning from Sections 1 and 2. It articulates the ways in which the book has developed an inclusive model for the education of refugee children and illustrates enabling factors for realising this in the English context. The chapter asserts that it is to the benefit of…
2020
Policy environment – England
This chapter describes the current policy environment as it impacts on the education of newly arrived refugee children in England. It begins by reflecting that there is in fact little in the way of a coherent policy for this group, and then describes some of the key pieces of legislation which affect them, along with the funding arrangements for education.…
2020
On the ground: The East of England
This chapter describes the practical reality of day-to-day life for refugee children and for those working for them in a single region of England. It is based around on-the-ground reportage and on interviews with young people, with practitioners working in the voluntary and public sectors and with the staff at an independent school which has welcomed a number of recent…
2020
A historical narrative of refugee education in England
This chapter delves into history in search of examples which could prove useful or interesting to those who seek to change, implement or improve today’s educational policy environment. Starting with the arrival of the Huguenots in the 17th Century and finishing with the Vietnamese who came on resettlement programmes between 1978 and 1988, it uses a series of case studies…
2020
A bespoke model of inclusive education for new arrivals
This chapter begins with a portrait of life at Fern College, a bespoke post-16 provision for refugee and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The chapter then explains the context for the development of this full-time provision, which is a pilot project whose holistic curriculum was heavily influenced and shaped by the theoretical concepts of safety, belonging and success. The chapter then analyses…
2020
Education and the concept of success
The chapter begins with Gare’s reflections upon the ways in which he is now able to consider a future in his new context and in so doing introduces the concept of success within education provision for refugee children who have very differing start and end points from their peers. The chapter illustrates how success takes on different forms through the…
2020
Education and the growth of belonging
This chapter begins with a further extract from an interview with Gare, which illustrates how he has experienced a sense of belonging as he has built connections within and outside his education provision. The chapter then moves to a portrait of Jasmine Gardens Academy, which offers a rich case study of how one institution works to foster a growing sense…
2020
Education and the search for safety
The chapter opens with an extract from Gare’s story, which illustrates the importance of the concept of safety through education for one refugee child. The chapter then offers a descriptive case study of Larkspur School, focusing on the practices and organisational structures that are in place to help refugee children experience a sense of safety. The case study portrait draws…
2020
Redistribution, recognition and representation
This chapter introduces the second theoretical framing for the book, Nancy Fraser’s theory of social justice as ‘participatory parity’, and the associated tripartite components of redistribution, recognition and representation. The chapter argues for a socially just frame for inclusion. It begins with an overview of the concept of social justice in relation to the topic of meaningful and high-quality inclusion…
2020
Safety, belonging and success
This chapter begins with an overview of the context of the movement of people across borders, the notion of a refugee ‘crisis’ in Europe and the political responses to this. Despite hostile and complicated bureaucratic barriers, people still seek refuge in destinations far from their starting points. Often, for young people this is due to the pull of education. This…
2020
Barriers to the inclusion of refugee and asylum-seeking children in schools in England
This article reports a study of the barriers faced by headteachers seeking to include young asylum seekers and refugees into secondary schools in England. We trace the new discourses and assemblages of authority created at city level by recent policy changes. Drawing on in-depth interviews with headteachers, we share their experiences of navigating layered ecologies of systemic challenges to their…
2020
The super-disadvantaged in higher education: barriers to access for refugee background students in England
In view of the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ which began in late 2014, there is a growing potential demand for higher education opportunities amongst refugee communities in England and more widely in Europe. Whilst exact numbers are not certain, it is necessary to establish whether such demands can be met at all. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with nineteen refugees and asylum…
2020
Improving ESOL provision for displaced adult migrants in Scotland: Key recommendations and findings
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision for asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government’s (SG) education brief and has developed independently of and diverged from UK Government approaches in England. The SG’s ESOL Strategy, now in its second iteration, Welcoming Our Learners (2015-2020), interacts with other policy areas, including Adult Literacies, Community Learning…
2019