The role of the governing body in supporting refugee families

School governing bodies have a key role to play in supporting refugee families gain access to services that are appropriate to their needs.

All maintained schools, including Maintained Nursery Schools, have a governing body. The roles and responsibilities of the governing body are dealt with in more detail in the area of this website that deals with contributing to the community through membership of the school governing body.

To find out more about school governors visit governornet.

Good practice

Governors can facilitate access and assure the quality of provision of services for refugee children.

Training on black, ethnic minority, refugee and asylum seeker issues

Local authorities may need to consider developing training and information on refugee issues if they don’t already provide it. All school governors should be encouraged to attend governor training .

Promote the involvement of all parents

Explicit reference in the equal opportunities and/or inclusion policies of the school to the entitlements of refugees, including access, learning needs and parental involvement, can reflect the school’s commitment to involving parents from all backgrounds. This can also be emphasised in any welcome information the school compiles for new parents, especially if it is translated into community languages.

Develop multi-agency working

Supporting the wider needs of refugee children and families can help them to settle, access the services they need and feel part of the local community. The multi-agency working area of this website provides further information about this.

Introduce new parents to other parents

Refugee parents from communities that are new to a school may welcome opportunities to meet other parents who are actively involved in the life of the school, including those who are governors.

Encourage all parents to attend all parents’ meetings

Governors should be aware that all parents of children at the school have a right to attend these meetings and that they offer parents opportunities to express their views on the way the school is developing.

Enlist parents to help run events

Refugee parents may be unfamiliar with the idea of parental involvement in school activities, so special efforts may be needed to explain the value of their participation. Involving refugee parents in planning these activities and translating any publicity material will also help. Governors and practitioners can also consult the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) 2004 toolkit Materials for schools: Involving parents, raising achievement and the foundation stage Information pack for Parents for further guidance and resources on developing parental involvement.

Monitor parental participation in school activities

Parental involvement and attendance at these events should represent the diversity of a school’s population. Monitoring whether refugee parents are taking part can help ensure they are not disadvantaged in any way. This is also a legal duty for schools under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The Equality and Human Rights Commission provides guidance to assist schools to meet their duties under the Act. The duty to promote race equality: A guide for Schools (.PDF)

School inspection

School inspections examine the extent to which the school governors carry out their statutory duties effectively. A key aspect of this is how well a school meets the needs of all its pupils, including refugee children, and contributes to their well-being. Inspectors will, for example, gather case study evidence of the progress of vulnerable children.

Ofsted’s Every child matters: Framework for the inspection of schools in England from September 2005 (.doc 2007 edition) takes into account the requirements of Every Child Matters: Change for Children and the five key outcomes for children and young people. These are:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being.

School inspections will look at:

• How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can
• How well the school works in partnership with others to promote children’s well-being.

Ofsted emphasises that schools are best placed to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses. The new inspection arrangements put great emphasis on the place of self-evaluation in school performance and improvement. This includes the work of the governing body.

Self-evaluation forms are available on the Ofsted website. There are separate forms for nursery, primary, secondary, special and PRUs (pupil referral units).