Key stage 4 new arrivals

Many refugee pupils achieve success and go on to further and higher education or employment . However, in some local authorities (LAs) they can have difficulty finding a school place, especially those refugee pupils who need to enrol in school in years 10 and 11. They are entitled to schooling in the same way as all children and young people. Information about Refugee pupils’ entitlements is available on the teachernet and in the Rights and entitlements area of the QCDA Pathways to learning for new arrivals website. The supporting access and enrolment to school area of this website provides information about how schools and other agencies and services have developed good practice to ensure refugee children obtain a school place and are provided with support appropriate to their needs.

Some schools may be concerned as to whether they can meet the curriculum needs of newly arrived refugee pupils at the same time as they are preparing other pupils for their public examinations. Newly arrived refugee pupils may have gaps in their learning as a result of frequent or long interruptions to their schooling. They may need to learn English and their previous schooling may have involved the study of different examination syllabuses. They may also have complex needs, for example unaccompanied refugee children frequently fall within the 14-16 age group. School staff will find curriculum guidance on supporting 14-16 year old new arrivals on the QCDA Pathways to learning for new arrivals website.

Schools are encouraged to provide a more flexible curriculum at key stage 4.This flexibility is intended to meet the diverse needs of pupils and to provide them with motivation and encouragement to achieve. It is expected that schools will develop further ways of meeting the needs of all pupils, in part through an emphasis on a more personalised curriculum. Schools are encouraged to operate in local partnerships and to collaborate with others in order to develop a more flexible curriculum and to aid innovation. As the diversity of learning opportunities in the 14-19 curriculum increases, the needs of refugee pupils should be easier to address. You can find guidance on this on the 14-19 curriculum area of this website.

The Children Act (2004) has further implications for the development of provision for refugee pupils. There is an emphasis on services working together more effectively to ensure the development and well-being of all children. New inspection arrangements give additional attention to the promotion of pupils’ well-being. For guidance, see the Every Child Matters website.

Good practice

Schools can support year 10 and 11 refugee new arrivals in a variety of ways.

Help refugee students find a school place if none is available in your school

Schools can guide applicants to nearby schools if they have places available, or to local advice networks. In some local authorities Connexions staff or other advocacy and advice workers provide invaluable assistance to newly arrived families and young people.

Inform applicants about their rights of appeal

Responsibility for admissions rests with the 'admission authority' for each school. The obligation to inform parents of their right of appeal rests with each admission authority. Schools that are their own admissions authorities (foundation and voluntary aided schools), provide parents with information about rights of appeal. If a school’s admissions are centrally administered by the local authority (LA) (Community and voluntary controlled schools) then the LA will provide information about appeal rights. Where a school is full and is not its own admissions authority it would be good practice for it to inform applicants of their rights of appeal.

Provide comprehensive and accessible information

Refugee young people need to be fully informed about their curriculum options and where to obtain further advice and support. It is important that any initial assessment of the student’s language and curriculum skills allows the school to acknowledge prior learning and identify the most suitable curriculum pathways, in close consultation with the student. For further guidance on Initial assessment see the QCDA Pathways to learning for new arrivals website.

Develop creative and flexible responses to diverse needs

Modify and adapt the curriculum where appropriate. For guidance see the QCDA Pathways to learning for new arrivals website. The supporting language and learning area of this website provides guidance for supporting curriculum access.

Ensure EAL pupils engage with their English-speaking peers

There is broad agreement amongst English as an additional language (EAL) practitioners that pupils can acquire English rapidly through work with English-speaking peers in the curriculum. There is guidance on teaching English as an additional language on the QCDA Pathways to learning for new arrivals website.

Offer a range of curriculum pathways to meet pupils’ needs

Schools can collaborate with each other, and with further education providers, to increase opportunities for 14-16 year old refugee new arrivals to access the curriculum, including developing specialist EAL support, in-school induction classes, access to English language courses outside school for a part of the week and increased support into vocational pathways. The 14-19 curriculum area of this website provides further guidance.

Develop out-of-school-hours provision

Help new arrivals catch up with their studies and connect them to local community and friendship networks. The out–of-school-hours learning area of this website provides information about this. Schools can link refugee pupils to refugee community organisations and other voluntary organisations which have set up out-of–school-hours activities. Schools need to be aware that some pupils may already be attending religious study after school and at weekends.

Support unaccompanied refugee children

Schools can work with other agencies and services involved in the care of unaccompanied refugee children. The supporting unaccompanied refugee children area of this website provides information about this. Intensive support from key staff such as learning mentors or Connexions Personal Advisers can ensure that pupils’ attendance and their other learning needs are effectively supported. For more information about Connexions services, see the Connexions practitioners website. The guidance report Supporting young asylum seekers and refugees can also be downloaded from this section of the Connexions website.

Disseminate good practice

Many LAs and schools are supporting effectively the integration and achievement of refugee new arrivals in years 10 and 11 through developing their provision in school. Others are working with partners to develop alternative out-of-school provision for refugee new arrivals.

Partners, including outside agencies, need to develop a common understanding of good practice and consistency in the advice and support they give to refugee students and their families.

Refugee pupils will need induction support into a broad and balanced curriculum, appropriate support for their welfare, and advocacy and support into mainstream education settings. To ensure any alternative provision meets the required standards, it is useful to read Ofsted’s reports:

Key Stage 4: towards a flexible curriculum (.PDF)

Increasingly individual schools, federations of schools and LAs are designing alternative programmes for individuals and groups of learners. These range from being wholly in school to a mixed provision of part of the week being in school and part either in the workplace or in alternative centres including FE colleges. In some cases the whole of the provision is out of school but with strong links to school staff, particularly Learning Mentors.

Guidance on Designing a personalised curriculum for alternative provision at key stage 4 can be found on the QCDA 14-19 website.

If there are no school places available to children and young people in the school it is the role of the LA to ensure that education is available to all children.

Case studies

KS4 EAL new arrivals protocol (.PDF)

Secondary schools in Brighton and Hove have agreed a protocol in collaboration with other agencies and services, to support the quick admission into years 10 and 11 of EAL new arrivals. The case study describes how the protocol was developed and provides information about the achievement of some of the students who accessed school through the protocol. A copy of the Brighton & Hove protocol can be downloaded.

Pre-entry level courses for beginners of English in key stage 4 (.PDF)

The case study describes how Oxford Community School in East Oxford has introduced pre-entry level courses for EAL beginners in years 11 and 12 so that the needs of new arrivals with little or no English are met.

Making the key stage 4 curriculum accessible (.PDF)

Hounslow Manor School, in the London Borough of Hounslow, has developed a range of additional support for new arrivals in year 10. Strategies include bilingual teaching support, extra English tuition, access to community language courses and also to alternative ESOL provision at the local Further Education College.