Supporting access and enrolment

Refugee young people may experience barriers to further education (FE). They may arrive in a local area where they have no friends, family or members of their community. Many refugees are unfamiliar with the English education system. They may also lack information about local schools and colleges, the 16-19 curriculum and how to enrol for school sixth-form or FE college places. Schools and colleges may be unsure about refugee students’ entitlements or how to meet their needs.

Good practice

Refugee young people arriving in the UK after they are 16 years old usually apply to FE colleges. Refugee young people will benefit when schools, FE colleges and other agencies and services are aware of their entitlements, and work together to support their access to education.

Information and advice

Link refugee young people to agencies and services that give information and advice and can assist their access to education.

Education Action offers advice, guidance, advocacy and information on all aspects of education, training and employment.

Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit provides information and answers to some of the questions young refugees may ask about FE.

parentscentre gives advice on further and higher education.

Student access to web-based information

Websites can give students help in choosing the most suitable college and courses. Useful websites include:

Citizens Advice Bureau

College4us

British Council - the course search facility

Many FE institutions have their own websites. A significant number of these can be found on:

UK Colleges’ List

Janet-site college list

The Directory of British Institutions

Reaching young refugees in the community

Schools and colleges need to provide information to young refugees about FE and the support available to them to access provision. They can develop ways of reaching young refugees by, for example, by institutions working closely with Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) as potential strategic partners.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for FE, adult and community learning, work-based training and workforce development. Their Involving Hard to Reach Young People in the Connexions Service - Guidance for Connexions Partnerships and Other Partners recommends that providers use a range of methods to widen the participation of people from groups that include refugees. For example, using different marketing methods, developing positive approaches to individuals and communities, building 'pre-entry' relationships, putting adequate support in place for those who need it, and offering pre-entry and entry level courses which can become a hook for further learning.

The National Literacy Trust gives case study examples of how the NSF has been used to support hard-to-reach groups’ access to education and training, including young refugees.

Collaborate with schools and other service providers to develop alternative provision for year 11 students unable to obtain a school place. FE colleges have developed courses for refugee students that provide intensive English language teaching and induction into the English education system. Partnerships with Connexions have linked them to FE settings through the provision of advocacy and support. The key stage 4 new arrivals area of this website gives guidance on this.

Young people’s entitlements

Ensure all staff are aware of refugee young people’s entitlements. School and college staff will find information about newly arrived refugee children and young people on:

16-19 learning area of the QCA Pathways to learning for new arrivals website.

Children’s Legal Centre gives up- to-date information on regulations on fees and staff need to keep up to date with how students’ immigration status affects them.

Funding Guidance for Further Education area of the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) website gives information about fees for FE courses.

Create a welcoming environment

Some FE Colleges have customer service points in several locations to ensure that prospective students can quickly access information and support, even if the college is located on more than one campus. Admissions staff have a particularly important role to ensure prospective refugee students are made to feel welcome. Some FE colleges give every course applicant a named contact in their admissions team. Peer mentors can be allocated to new students who are unfamiliar with the education system, so they get help learning routines and where to go, with the opportunity for company during break-times. The peer support and friendships area of this website provides more information about this. Reception areas can be decorated with displays that celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity of the student population. A personalised ‘Welcome to…’ poster is an approach some schools and colleges use.

MantraLingua produces welcome posters in different languages. Meeting areas should be comfortable and allow confidentiality to be respected.

Provide interpretation

Ensure interpreters are available during the enrolment process and that prospective refugee students know about their entitlements. Provide translated written information, for example, information about the institution and the curriculum in different languages.

Newham College of Further Education, for example, provides student handbooks in a range of languages that can be freely downloaded from the student life section of their website.

A variety of other websites provide information about how to find an interpreter or translator. These include

4translators

Linguist Finder

Institute of Translation & Interpreting

Translation Services Plus .

The Refugee Council’s Language Identification Chart can be helpful to schools and colleges which need assistance identifying the languages students speak

Working with other agencies

Provide high quality initial assessment

The language and curriculum skills of refugee applicants need to be identified, together with any gaps in learning. Knowledge of their previous learning, areas of strength and weakness, their preferred learning styles, and their interests and aspirations should inform any advice given about the most appropriate courses for them. Assessment should recognise that refugee students may have experienced interruptions to their education. For more information see the meeting the needs of all students area of this website.

Design courses to match students’ needs

Some colleges have developed open access courses that guarantee enrolment on application. These can include courses targeting students who may arrive at different times and who are learning English as an additional language. Students will more readily enrol on courses when they can see pathways to vocational and academic courses that meet their aspirations and help them to achieve their full potential. The pathways to higher education and employment area of this website has information about this.

Develop awareness across the institution.

Support for refugee students is not the responsibility of individual staff working in isolation. Successful strategies promote shared responsibility and teamwork. The celebrating diversity area of this website gives information about this.

Help students apply for financial support

There is a range of grant funding available to some students.

College4us provides general information about the cost of further and higher education, and financial support available.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a means-tested grant that refugee students may be able to access, although entitlement of students is affected by their immigration status.

Children’s Legal Centre gives advice to parents and carers that includes EMA.

16-19 Transport Support DCSF information on how some students may be able to apply for help with transport to school or college. Some colleges and schools have developed their own bursaries for students in need of financial assistance, or have waived fees.

The Citizens Advice Bureau gives information to students about how to get financial help.

Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) Family Welfare Association’s guidance and advice on funding for those studying in post-16 education in the UK.

Ruth Hayman Trust provides small grants to refugees and migrants for educational purposes.

money to learn DCSF information about when and how a student over 19 years of age may apply for financial support.

Childcare needs

Refugee young people may have particular needs, for example if they have young children. Affordable or free childcare provision is essential for young refugee mothers who want to access courses.

College4us provides information to young parents seeking to study, about childcare and family support.

Provide advocacy and additional support

Schools and colleges have developed good links with local services and projects that work with refugees. Ensure that information about these services is available. Direct or ‘signpost’ students to appropriate sources of support or make referrals for them. The multi-agency working section of this website provides further information and guidance.

Case studies

A multilingual DVD to support access to services (.PDF)

With funding from the European Refugee Fund, Haringey Refugee Education Team worked in partnership with other services and stakeholders to produce the Haringey Welcomes You DVD. The case study describes how the DVD was developed, what it contains and how it has supported the welcome and integration of newly arrived refugee families. 14 local primary and secondary schools also worked in partnership with the Photographers' Gallery as part of the 'Welcome' project.

‘Starting Point’: supporting Liberian and Congolese refugee children (.PDF)

A group of 81 Liberian and Congolese refugees were offered a new home in Bolton under the Gateway Protection Programme. The case study shows how the ‘Starting Point’ project supported the induction of children into schools, colleges and early years settings, and addressed the needs of children, young people and families.

To see Starting Point in action please see the Starting Point short film extracts.

KS4 new arrivals protocol (.PDF)

Schools in Brighton and Hove have agreed a protocol (.PDF), in collaboration with other agencies and services including FE providers, to support the quick admission into year 10 and 11 of new EAL arrivals. Profile information about the achievement of some of the students who accessed school and then college through the protocol is provided.

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

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.