Excelsior Academy Achieves School of Sanctuary Status

Excelsior Academy is proud to announce that it has achieved School of Sanctuary status, joining Academies and schools across Newcastle committed to making their communities safer and more welcoming for refugees, asylum seekers and those seeking sanctuary. We are especially proud to be only the second secondary school in Newcastle to be awarded this recognition.

Newcastle’s Schools of Sanctuary programme helps schools embed practices and policies so pupils and families feel included, supported and safe. Schools involved introduce themes around displacement and human rights into the curriculum, provide library resources about asylum and refugees, train staff in inclusion, support new-arrival pupils with EAL buddies and run parent English classes.

At Excelsior, where over fifty languages are spoken, this recognition reflects the ongoing work across the Academy and Laidlaw Schools Trust. Becoming a School of Sanctuary builds on the Academy’s longstanding culture of diversity and inclusion, formalising the commitment to support pupils from all backgrounds.

Central to this commitment is Excelsior’s School of Sanctuary group, made up of KS3 and KS4 students from a variety of backgrounds, including refugees and asylum seekers themselves. Meeting regularly, the group works together with the shared goal of making Excelsior Academy a welcoming environment for every student and providing a place of sanctuary.

This year, the group has taken part in a range of activities to bring this vision to life, including:

• A visit to Scotswood Gardens, itself a recognised place of sanctuary.
• An art competition, with student work set to be displayed in Boost, the dedicated space where pupils new to English receive extra support.
• Participation in performances, including highlights from the Penguin Performance, where two students from Syria proudly took part.

“We are thrilled to receive this award, as a school we always aspire to be fully inclusive and welcome all of our learners regardless of their background”.

- Gemma Neale, Head of Department of Languages at Excelsior Academy

Being recognised as a School of Sanctuary means that every child has a school where their identity is respected, their experiences are valued and their safety is supported. At Excelsior Academy, this ethos is not just celebrated on special occasions but embedded in everyday life.

To read more the about the Newcastle School of Sanctuary's, click here