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CHAPTER FOUR BEYOND INTEGRATION - GOOD PRACTICE FROM STUDY SCHOOLS

One of the aims of this study was to identify what might constitute 'best practice' for the integration of asylum-seeking and refugee students into schools. Here a question of definition might be relevant: is the objective to achieve the integration of asylum-seeking students into, or their inclusion within, schools? While these terms are often used synonymously, there is a distinction between them. 'Integration' refers to a process that seeks to equip the child to meet the demands of mainstream education and culture, whereas 'inclusion' refers to efforts to include the child with his/her own culture and values into the school, within a culture that celebrates diversity (Corbett, 2001). In the first case the child has to fit into the school, in the second the school adapts, to respond to the needs of its pupils. In practice terms therefore, an integrationist approach would provide the child with supports and tools for accessing the curriculum and school life, which would remain virtually unchanged by the child's admission to the school. The inclusive approach, by contrast, would recognise that admitting pupils of diverse backgrounds to the school, would by definition, change its character; and the school would celebrate this diversity. We would argue that best practice would go beyond integration, and refer to the inclusion of children of diverse backgrounds into schools.

In this chapter we will outline policy frameworks and practice developments in four education authorities, two of which have high numbers, and two of which have low numbers of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils in their schools, where supporting asylum-seeking and refugee pupils might therefore be approached differently. Two authorities are Scottish case study authorities, two are English; and they present different demographics and different histories in terms of their experience with supporting asylum-seeking and refugee pupils. Policy and practice developments in this area are thus not directly comparable, but it is possible to consider to what extent these are integrationist or inclusive, and provide different models for consideration in policy development. The overview of policy and practice for each authority is not exhaustive, but focuses on some key areas in each - some examples may be relevant to more than one authority. We also offer selected examples of inclusive practice from a range of good practice observed in case study schools in all four study authorities.

4.1 Authorities with high numbers of asylum-seeking and refugee students in their school populations

4.1.1 Authority A

In Authority A, experience of responding to the needs of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils largely dates back to the dispersal of asylum-seeking families and individuals away from London and the south-east of England in 2000. The authority's minority ethnic population is lower than the UK average, and these communities are mainly to be found clustered in particular areas. As a result of dispersal policy, the last few years have seen a large and rapid growth in numbers of asylum-seeking and refugee (and therefore also minority ethnic) pupils in the city's schools, some in areas where previously few minority ethnic communities lived. The authority has had to respond speedily to the specific needs of this population. In consequence, the education authority's formal policies for providing for asylum-seeking and refugee pupils are still in development, and practice is evolving.

The local authority is funded by NASS to support the needs of people seeking asylum, which is delivered through the city's Asylum Seeker Support Project ( ASSP). A positive approach adopted by the ASSP is the provision of services through a multi-agency team, which includes social services, health and the police, in addition to education, and which works in liaison with designated housing providers. In terms of education, an aim of the project is to place children seeking asylum in schools within two weeks of their arrival in the city, an initiative that should prove valuable to the children's rehabilitation and learning outcomes. Children are placed in designated receiving schools - 26 primary and 7 secondary - in local areas where asylum-seeking families are housed, and these schools are provided additional resources in the form of EAL staff, to support their needs. A difficulty currently facing the project is the educational consequences of accommodation changes following changes in provider, where asylum-seeking families could be moved across the city, with children needing to be re-located in new schools, some of which have had no previous experience of asylum-seeking pupils.

The ASSP have issued schools with good practice guidance in supporting asylum-seeking children (2004). This Handbook is an operational document, first produced in 2000 as a pragmatic and practical response to dealing with large numbers of new arrivals with little or no knowledge of English, which built on practice previously developed in the city for supporting bilingual students new to English. The city's educational approach for this group of children focuses primarily on their language needs, seeing this as a key survival need. Receiving schools are provided resources for bilingual units, to provide intensive language support for pupils new to English; pupils move between the base and their mainstream class, in line with their needs, until they are ready to be full-time in the mainstream. The ASSP Handbook (2004) states that, ' Integration from the base into mainstream should be a gradual, supported progression'. The expectation is that average attendance in the base is from six to nine months. However, this is not a rigid model, and the authority will back schools that wish to support pupils new to English within the mainstream classroom, provided the appropriate level of support is available. The authority is reportedly considering how support for asylum-seeking pupils can be integrated with support for bilingual pupils, to ensure a coherent provision that meets the needs of all pupils.

Additional EAL staff are appointed to schools by the ASSP in relation to the number of asylum-seeking children allocated to them, and schools requiring interpreter services are provided this service by the ASSP, free of cost. Sample translated letters and forms are available to schools to help with enrolling pupils. The city's education department has, additionally, a strong Race Equality Policy and Action Plan, and Anti-Bullying Policy. An education official commented that ensuring that schools are doing their best on a range of equality issues is one of the biggest challenges facing the authority in the next few years. The Additional Support for Learning Act (2004) provides an important framework for the authority's approach to delivery of services for these children.

A particular concern of the authority is the effect of UK Home Office policy on the education of asylum-seeking pupils and indeed on all pupils in schools that receive asylum-seeking pupils. A current urgent issue, in light of indications that a large proportion of asylum-seeking families are appeal rights exhausted, relates to removals, and what guidance to provide schools, including how to support pupils who are concerned about being removed; how to support pupils when a classmate has been removed; how to support school staff through this process; and how to develop coping strategies. The authority is planning to work with health and social services to address this issue.

A second concern relating to UK Home Office policy relates to limitations to post-school opportunities for asylum-seeking children. An education official pointed out that in the context of current policies where a child cannot progress to university or to gain employment, there is a tension for teachers between keeping pupils motivated and achieving, and being realistic in relation to pupil aspirations. However, the authority has recently been successful in obtaining university places for six high-calibre asylum-seeking students. The City Council in association with four Scottish universities have approached the Universities Funding Council and the Scottish Executive to amend regulations to allow asylum-seeking young people access to higher education.

4.1.2 Authority B

Authority B has had a long tradition of providing for the needs of diverse pupils, and at the 2001 census its non-White population was well above the UK average of 7.9%, standing at 34%. At the time of the study there were over 5,000 asylum-seeking and refugee pupils in the Authority's schools, representing 16.9% of the schools population, and there was high pupil mobility. A statement from the Director of Education outlines the Authority's perception of the needs of refugee children:

There is recognition that pupils from a refugee background may have faced difficult and traumatic life conditions due to the experience of civil war or social conflict. The additional issues of cultural differences and pupils with English as an additional language sometimes make the adjustment to school life difficult.

To respond to the needs of these children, the authority's Refugee Education Service has developed a range of guidance and resources for schools, including detailed Guidance on the Welcome and Induction of Refugee and Asylum Seeking Students; a Refugee Handbook; Positive Quick Notes for regular contact with parents in community languages; and a series of phrasebooks in the main community languages, designed to be used by students literate in their own languages but new to English. Model policies and practice guidelines were developed and evaluated, to form the basis of the handbook for teachers working with refugee pupils. In-service training is also provided by the Service.

The first principle of best practice in admissions procedure in the Authority is a commitment to inclusion. A supportive learning environment as outlined includes: a 'class friend' system; displays and labels in community languages; clear, consistent classroom routines; curriculum initiatives and planning to meet language and other needs, lunchtime and after-school activities, etc. Children go straight into mainstream on admission day, and are supported within the classroom.

It will be seen that both Authority A and Authority B have developed positive practice for supporting asylum-seeking and refugee pupils. Given the large numbers of these pupils in their schools, considerable thought has gone into how best to support their needs. In Authority A this has taken the form of primarily addressing survival needs through intensive language support in schools, within a multi-agency support structure for meeting basic social needs. This can be understood in the context of the rapid growth in numbers of these pupils in its schools, little previous experience of refugees, and the relatively small numbers of ethnic minorities in its population. At the same time the Authority places emphasis on wider equalities issues, through strong race equality and anti-bullying policies in schools. Additionally, recognising the contradiction in ethos of the Standards in Scottish Schools etc. Act 2000 and Home Office policies on higher education and asylum-seeking young people, it is working to have regulations amended to allow asylum-seeking pupils access to higher education. Whilst all of these policies and interventions will enhance the educational experience of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils, and it is recognised that policies are still in development, at the present time the needs of the whole asylum-seeking child may not be being met through these alone. Specifically, in terms of supporting language needs it would be well to consider if the child's social needs, as well as inclusive practice, can best be achieved through withdrawal in language units, or whether a better model of support (such as developed in some of the case study schools, reported below) can be developed. Additionally, to develop inclusive practice, the particular emotional needs of these pupils resulting from the trauma of the refugee experience, and their possible educational consequences will need to be recognised, with specific policy interventions and supports designed to meet them.

Authority B's longer history with asylum-seeking and refugee pupils, and ethnic minorities more generally, has allowed its policies a greater time to develop, and for it to provide a sound framework for working within an inclusive model. Recognition of the implications of the refugee experience for the child's educational and social development is the starting point for specific policies, guidance and supports within the inclusive model. The evaluation undertaken of the Authority's policy model serves as a firm basis for developing good practice.

4.2 Authorities with small numbers of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils in their populations

4.2 1 Authority C

Authority C's minority ethnic population is considerably lower than the UK average of 7.9%. It has, however, a long history of providing schooling for asylum-seeking and refugee pupils, though not in very large numbers. The city does not therefore have specific policies geared towards these children, and the main policy support is provided through support for bilingual learners. The mission statement of its EAL (English as an Additional Language) Service states:

We aim to work in partnership with schools, homes and other agencies to meet the educational needs of bilingual learners, to raise their self-esteem, to value their linguistic and cultural backgrounds and to enable them to fulfil their potential…. ( EAL Service 11/99: 3)

The statement of policy goes on to say that ' the mainstream classroom is the best context for English language acquisition' (p.4.), but that in some circumstances it might be appropriate to ' teach bilingual pupils in a tutorial situation for a short time…' (p.7). The most supportive educational ethos for these pupils is seen to be one where ' cultural and linguistic diversity are acknowledged as valuable resources in the classroom, where bilingualism of the pupil is seen as a positive asset, and where there is commitment to good home-school communication' (p.4). Whilst diversity in the classroom is seen as a valuable asset, the complex needs of asylum-seeking and refugee children are not, however, referred to in this document. However, if these are not recognised, particular behaviours of these children which are responses to their refugee situation, as outlined in the last chapter, might be misinterpreted and the children not adequately supported.

The city has additionally got a range of policy and practice initiatives that could support the needs of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils. Key among these is 'Guidance on Positively Challenging Bullying, Racism and Discrimination' (2006), and 'Dealing Positively with Racist Issues' (2003). A 'Mainstreaming Equalities Action Plan 2006-2009' has also been developed to ensure the authority is meeting its responsibilities under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, and the Equalities Act 2006. Education officers commented that the Additional Support for Learning Act (2004) is seen as significant in terms of meeting the wider needs of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils. In particular, the recognition in the Act that 'pupils in the course of their educational career move in and out of need' was seen as important, so that a pupil's needs as a result of trauma or loss, for example, could be met within the parameters of that need. An officer noted that there is however a need to recognise that barriers to learning may exist within educational establishments and institutions, as well as any additional support needs the child may have as recognised in ASL guidelines to schools.

An officer commented that practice within the authority has evolved and developed beyond the scope of formal policies. In the EAL service, for example, in addition to having a team of 30 EAL teachers, the authority have around 15 full- or part-time bilingual support assistants ( BSAs), managed by a Principal Teacher, who work in partnership with schools and parents, and with other agencies outside of education, such as social work, health, faith groups and the voluntary sector, on educational experiences and barriers to attainment of bilingual pupils. The officer suggested that BSAs are well placed to support asylum-seeking and refugee children, and that work needing to be done to improve policy and practice can be identified through these structures. Additionally, the authority reports structures in place for supporting vulnerable children, and within secondary schools, staff with responsibility for pupils' welfare and social and emotional development.

The authority reports being able to maintain the required level of services at present, though it is facing some financial constraints, in common with many other authorities. An officer noted that if there were to be a significant increase in numbers of asylum-seeking/refugee pupils in the city, without additional funding a problem might arise in relation to providing adequate services.

In looking to the further development of policy and practice towards asylum-seeking and refugee pupils, one officer commented that a strength of the city's policies is that they set within a wider equalities framework, and are therefore less likely to be criticised by wider society than if they were directed towards a specific group, such as refugees. She noted that if practice is good for all pupils who are vulnerable, it would be good for all pupils, regardless of their status.

4.2.2 Authority D

Authority D has a very small minority ethnic population, and at the 2001 census its non-White residents comprised 2.9% of the total, well below the UK average of 7.9%. It does not have a large asylum-seeking and refugee population; at the time of the fieldwork a multi-agency group was working to compile a confidential database on asylum-seekers and refugees, with a view to better tailoring its service provision.

The county's educational support services for asylum-seeking and refugee pupils are provided through its Ethnic Minority Achievement Service ( EMAS), whose aims are to:

• ensure a greater awareness of the needs of ethnic minority pupils;
• assist schools in their efforts to provide minority ethnic pupils with enhanced access to the whole school curriculum;
• raise minority ethnic pupil achievement;
• ensure that teachers achieve a greater knowledge of the stages of language acquisition through which bilingual learners progress;
• give schools greater confidence and competence in providing appropriate support;
• support home school links;
• assist schools in tackling racism and promoting intercultural awareness. (Council website)

The Authority's EMAS Advisers offer courses on race equality issues for teachers, governing bodies, teaching assistants and Advisers, and Advisory teachers work with schools to increase teachers' knowledge of the cultural and linguistic experiences of minority ethnic pupils, and assist teachers in developing the pupils' English language skills within the different areas of the curriculum. To combat racism EMAS Advisers provide contacts and advice for colleagues across agencies with regard to vulnerable pupils and families. They also personally support the induction process for refugee and asylum-seeking pupils.

The Authority has also established Inclusion Networks, to link school improvement with inclusive practice. The Inclusive Networks are seen as the forum within which effective inclusive practices and equal opportunities for all can be promoted, towards meeting the needs of all children.

It will be seen that both these Authorities support asylum-seeking and refugee pupils through wider, rather than specific policies, given the small numbers of these pupils in their schools. In Authority C the policy focus is on bilingual learners, vulnerable children, and equalities issues; in Authority D it is on ethnic minorities and raising achievement, on race equality and Inclusion Networks. In both Authorities teaching takes place mainly in the mainstream, and cultural diversity is seen in a positive light. Both Authorities can therefore be said to be operating within a broadly inclusive framework. In addition however, in Authority D specialist support is provided to schools for asylum-seeking and refugee pupils through Advisers, in recognition that this group of pupils have specific needs that might not always be addressed through other policies. Thus whilst the needs of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils might possibly be met through a vulnerable children and equalities focus as in Authority C, this could depend on specific needs being identified, and correctly identified, in individual children. But if the particular needs of children who have experienced traumas specific to the refugee experience, and its manifestations, are not recognised, it is also possible that these needs might not all be met, or not met in as timely a manner as might be.

Against this policy background, we will now examine practice in study schools, focusing on examples where schools have taken specific initiatives to develop more inclusive practice. The data demonstrates that it is possible for schools to develop their own policies towards providing an inclusive service, even whilst their own education authorities adopt a more integrationist approach.

4.3 Inclusive practice from study schools

As discussed at the beginning of this chapter, we equate good practice with practice that values diversity and seeks to be inclusive. It was noted in chapter 1 that schools selected for the study were chosen on the basis of 'good practice' as identified by study authorities, and we will seek to understand what this 'good practice' involves, and how individual schools have worked out their own good practice approaches. In keeping with our identification of good practice with inclusive practice, it is envisaged that good practice will include a 'caring' ethos, non-stigmatising support for students new to English, monitoring educational progress, fostering of friendships and socialising among students, good home-school links, and implementing anti-bullying and anti-racist policies. These are discussed below.

• Welcome: This begins prior to the initial admission interview, and from the moment the child and parent/s cross the school's threshold. Aspects of this, and different emphases, are demonstrated in the approaches taken by two schools -

The entrance lobby to the school displays a 'welcome wall' with a map of the world, marking out where new arrivals to the school come from. Around the map are pictures or photos of the new arrivals, with information about themselves that they have given, about their home language and class. On display below the map are a range of books, with pictures and information on children in different countries, different religions, stories from different cultures… Just beyond that are clocks showing school start and finish times, (free) breakfast club time, and after-school club time.. (Primary school, fieldnotes)

We are a Catholic school - we have a welcoming ethos, it's about the dignity and value of every individual in school - reaching out to children is an important element of what we do… (Secondary school, interview with Head)

Various aspects of admissions, which can be seen as part of the initial welcome, are handled differently by different schools. The Heads of two schools and the Ethnic Minority Achievement ( EMA) Co-ordinator of another explained practice at their respective schools:

The admissions form is in all community languages - we give a copy to the parent in her own language, so she can see what I am filling in in English… (Primary school, interview with Head)

Parents are not in receipt of clothing grants, but the school gives them the uniform to start, so that the child arrives as part of the school.. At registration they are given the school handbook and told about the breakfast club, which is free of charge and open to everyone… (Primary school, interview with Head)

Part of our admissions procedure is to take parents round the school, especially the playground, to the spot where parents collect the children - it alleviates parents' and children's anxiety. (Primary school, interview with EMA Co-ordinator)

• Support for students new to English - withdrawal or mainstreaming? The question of the merits of withdrawal versus mainstreaming has been raised above, as well as the possible stigma attached to withdrawal for continued English language support. Two possible models of good practice were presented in the fieldwork. In the first model, a school had been asked to 'house' a bilingual unit for 30 children. The school was asked to put the children on class registers, though in reality they would work in the bilingual unit. The school had been a multi-ethnic school prior to dispersal, and found this approach contrary to its usual way of working. The headteacher stated:

..we very quickly moved away from that and began to refine our thinking - we asked, what can children do that the class was doing, e.g., expressive art, environmental studies, behind that maths, then language. We've got to get teachers and children to seek ways around that. And we also began to get peer support…

Now.. we work on a completely different basis… the two ASR support teachers with the EAL teachers work in classrooms across the school, mainly at language times. Teachers work with groups of children, which include asylum seekers and refugees, local bilingual and monolingual pupils… We feel that all children benefit from this..

We had a debate within the school about 'withdrawal' ..for limited times in corners ..With joint planning with the class teacher and the support teacher .. where the support teacher takes the group becomes irrelevant..(Primary school, interview with Head)

Another school took a different approach:

We have admissions day every Monday afternoon.. very rarely a week passes when we didn't have a new child.. Children move straightaway into [mainstream] classes.. Assessment is carried out within the first two weeks of admission - short and sharp sessions are found to work better… (Primary school, interview with EMA Co-ordinator)

In these two examples any stigma that could attach to withdrawal is absent, and children spend class-time with their peers, in a situation that is more conducive to forming friendships and socialising.

• Monitoring students' progress: The importance of monitoring the progress of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils in the school is recognised in most schools. The system used in one school, as described by the Head, deserves mention -

We .. keep an overview of every child in school within a grid, which is colour-coded, so we can see where the ASR children are, where the local bilingual children are… (Primary school, interview with Head)

• Achievements and attainment: Both achievement and attainment is important in being a 'successful learner'. The achievement of one school in including its asylum-seeking and refugee pupils in all aspects of school life, where they formed the majority among school captains, was mentioned in the previous chapter. The Head in that school described their system for supporting pupils through the school:

We take information about the child and parents and make a Personal Learning Plan… We don't get all information at the first meeting, we get more later after confidence is developed in the school by the parents.. Every child spends a period of time in the International Unit and there details of the learning plan are completed and developed. .. Pupils [also] have a Pupil Support Teacher, who is assigned to each year group, and moves up with them through the school… (Secondary school, interview with Head)

On a related issue, another case study school seeks to raise pupils' educational attainment by supporting home languages:

Our students can do home languages at GCSE - if it is not a taught modern foreign language, the department pays for an external examiner…

(Secondary school, interview with EMA Co-ordinator)

• Valuing asylum-seeking and refugee children: Valuing student diversity is an integral part of inclusive practice. In many of the study schools asylum-seeking pupils were valued, and at times seen to bring added-value to the school, as the following comments indicate:

[taking in asylum-seeking pupils was] very new for staff and children, a lot of learning has happened.. Scottish children are now used to having a variety of children in the school - the vision has completely widened. At first some teachers were apprehensive, but the children have won them over, because they are so keen to learn, and been supported by their parents. They are a good example, a good influence on local children… (Primary school, interview with Head)

For the first [ ASR] group, when the children were just acquiring English, the school suffered in terms of attainment levels. Now the ASR children are pulling up the school's attainment levels… (Primary school, interview with Head)

• Peer support and fostering friendships: Peer support and friendships are other key aspects of inclusive schools. The value of peer support and friendships was recognised in study schools, as the following demonstrate:

The teacher will try to nominate a 'buddy' for them - teachers are very good with 'putting a smile' on their faces… Some of them [ ASR children] amaze me the way they settle in… Whether or not they can speak English, they can be settled if they have children who speak their own language…

We have after-school clubs for all children, mainly for sport… some are already good at sport - they can all play even with limited language… (Primary school, interview with Head)

We encourage children to participate in extra-curricular activities,… residential courses…all to encourage development of friendships… (Primary school, interview with Head)

• Parental involvement: Encouraging and supporting parental involvement in their children's education is recognised as part of good practice in inclusive schools. One study school was particularly successful in its efforts to encourage parent participation:

We try to get parents involved in PTA and School Board… [Also] last year we had a sewing group [of mothers] for the X'mas show.. now we have a cookery class programme with children and parents, in school time.. We have an asylum-seeker parent on our School Board.. (Primary school, interview with Head)

• Supporting the whole child, raising awareness, understanding equality: Supporting the needs of the whole child is similarly significant. One study school with small numbers of asylum-seeking pupils emphasised the importance of supporting more than the child's educational progress -

We provide not just academic support, but also emotional support… we found 'X' was not happy, she had no friends… we had more contact with the mother, and actively engaged her with friendships, and in activities she might enjoy… (Secondary school, interview with Deputy Head)

Likewise, a denominational school with a small number of asylum-seeking pupils has developed specialist support for meeting pupils' emotional and other non-academic needs, recognising the importance of supporting the needs of the whole child:

We try not to see young people in slots and categories.... Unique to this school is a well-resourced chaplaincy team, which is part of our pupil support structure. Asylum-seeking and refugee children could access this support - it is a place for them to talk, to get support… (Secondary school, interview with Head)

Another school with low numbers of asylum-seeking pupils had developed a game to promote debate on equal opportunities and anti-racist issues -

Equal opportunities and anti-racism is a high priority… We have a .. Equality Game, which we now sell.. we use that game to work with young ones to provoke discussion. The objective is to show that life is not fair, not equal chances.. (Secondary school, interview with Head)

Similarly, at a school with high numbers of asylum-seeking pupils, the curriculum was used to raise awareness of refugee issues among pupils and parents -

A drama production on refugee experiences was being rehearsed at the school. The script had been written by pupils, drawing on first-hand knowledge within the school, and with the help and support of a local drama company engaged by the school, who were also helping with choreography. The production included song and dance, and the cast included talented refugee and non-refugee pupils of both majority and minority ethnic groups. (Secondary school, fieldnotes)

In sum, a range of inclusive practice was found in case study schools. These include practices that sought to:

• address the whole child (not just their educational needs) in the school's welcome
• address the concerns of parents, and included parents in their children's education
• address the child's English-language needs whilst not withdrawing him/her from mainstream education
• develop pupil support strategies that indicate high expectations of all pupils; and
• foster friendships among all pupils.

Practices described above are those that seek to respond to the needs of a diverse school, rather than to integrate children into an already existing structure and ethos. They do not present an exhaustive list, but have been selectively chosen to highlight specific issues. Inclusive practice also seems to reflect a holistic model of education provision for asylum-seeking and refugee students, described in a recent study (Arnot and Pinson, 2005). Such initiatives might be considered in developing good practice in schools.

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