• looking at their existing curriculum and weaving in themes relating to refugees and forced displacement 
• looking at the school library and having an area dedicated to books about refugees, asylum seekers and human rights 
• making resources available to staff; school staff completing the Newcastle City of Sanctuary training module 
• building in learning about refugees and asylum seekers into staff inductions and ongoing training. 
• how the schools support new arrivals with schemes set up such as EAL buddies for new arrivals who have English as an additional language, Language of the Month and Parent English Classes 
• displays set up in schools promoting Welcome 

Subjects range from fiction to biography, sport, crafts, art, travel, poetry, history, music.... you name it and it's quite probably on a shelf somewhere.

Some of the children's picture books are not for loan as they are very expensive to replace if lost. We encourage families to read together in the library and see it as a second home. The African languages are also not for loan as they are increibly hard to source and difficult to replace - please sit and read at the library - with a cup of tea.

We also have a few journals - Race and Class being the one with the longest complete run. Others include Banipal, Index on Censorship and some music journals such as Sangeet Natak.

Here are some websites to help your children learn English at home. Always look at what your child is doing on the computer, to make sure they stay on the right website!

Websites for Primary Age Children and secondary and adults

Hearing the voices and learning about the lived experiences of people seeking sanctuary is an important part of being a School of Sanctuary. We encourage schools, however, to not focus on people’s difficult experiences abroad, but also learn about their lives now in the UK and hear the positive aspects of finding sanctuary in the UK. By adopting this approach, students can get a better understanding of the things they have in common with people seeking sanctuary rather than what solely focusing on what is different.

The comprehensive pack

• Learn why people might move between or within countries.

• Use stories and films to build empathy for people who have been forced to leave home.

• Explore the potential impacts of being forced to flee home on your life and education.

• Consider the importance of education and schools in helping young refugees to rebuild their lives.

• Take action to make your school or classroom more welcoming for someone new.Crisis and conflict disrupt education. Refugee children are five times more likely to be missing out on an education. Almost half of all school-age refugee children are out of school and girls are less likely to be enrolled than boys. 

Our Migration Story was designed explicitly with teachers in mind. Recent changes to the National Curriculum in History, and the prioritisation of Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural (SMSC) development across Key Stages, have widened the opportunities for teaching students to understand and appreciate the range of peoples, from all places, who have journeyed to and helped to shape the British Isles.

The competition is run by the Sanctuary Foundation. A panel of celebrities, refugees and journalists will choose the best entries. The top 30 will be shown at The British Library during National Refugee Week (16–22 June 2025) and featured in a national online assembly, in the news and more. Winners will be celebrated at a prize ceremony on World Refugee Day (Friday 20 June 2025).

We are so pleased to share that Niayesh Kamali Y8 is a finalist in the No Place Like Home National Art and Poetry competition for her poetry entry ‘I miss you, Iran’. Congratulations! It’s a brilliant piece of work that will help to spread understanding and empathy for children who are displaced.

We offer free training sessions and resources to educators and schools supporting refugee and asylum-seeking students in the UK.

Click on the link to register: https://forms.office.com/e/kfUiJTbJSW

This webinar recorded in November 2025, provides information for schools from British Council's International School Award Team, shares the experience of a Newcastle school that has achieved Accreditation and hears from the Express Yourself North East Festival of Languages Co-ordinator about how Festival 2026 activities can support and inspire schools to progress through the ISA levels from Foundation Certificate, to Intermediate and Accreditation levels.

Sanctuary Foundation film .This is a moving, true story of how an asylum seeker from Iran ended up celebrating Christmas with a stranger. At a time of increasing hostility toward refugees, this short film offers a simple, human reminder of empathy and welcome. Designed for church Christmas services and schools, the film uses images and music (no narration) to make the story accessible to all ages and languages. It has already been shown to over 48,000 children this week, and with your help we can ensure more people see it and are inspired by it.  

To register, email info@expressyourselfne.com with your organisation name and address, contact name and email and the number of young people and their age range participating. Joining instructions and accompanying resources will be emailed in advance and the recording will shared after the event with all who register.

Hosted by Newcastle City Council on Teams as part of Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages

To register, email info@expressyourselfne.com with your school name and address, contact name and email and the number of young people participating. You will be sent the resources for use in your classrooms.

Online events have unlimited capacity.

In-person events on the calendar may have places available if they are not listed as FULLY BOOKED – click here https://expressyourselfne.com/2026/01/07/in-person-event-places/ for the latest updates on availability for remaining places for any in person events.

To register for events, click on the image on the calendar page to see the specific event you are interested in and follow the instructions to register in the ‘How do I get involved?’ section and follow the instructions.

Click here to download the 10^th March Festival newsletter.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Free live event for secondary schools:

Meet Giel, a South Sudanese refugee who recently set out to walk the length of the UK to raise money for charity. As an inspirational speaker with a remarkable story, he will motivate and inform your pupils, offering practical ways to build a community of welcome and belonging in your school. 

Find out more and register for free here:

A Day of Welcome – Asylum Speakers: Giel | VNET Education CIC

A Day of Welcome is an annual day of solidarity and learning in schools that aims to build a culture of welcome and understanding for people seeking sanctuary. Celebrated by over 820 schools and +220,000 young people in 2025, it's designed to support teachers in kickstarting Refugee Week by providing free live events, resources and activities for pupils of all ages. 

The session is designed for those who regularly need to interact with those who have a low level of English. It will be of particular use to frontline staff/volunteers and new starters.

Tickets can be reserved via Eventbrite here:

13^th of July at 10:30

Over 300 schools took part in our events this year, with a self-reported attendance of more than 54,971 students. We hope the recordings and resources below are useful for your schools community.

Pupils at any key stage can create a piece of text in a language they are learning (other than English) with an illustration on the theme of A few words that mean so much, exploring how carefully chosen words can make a difference to someone who reads them.

Other links to EU resources are also available for schools at the link.