Background

The level of concern experienced by some Traveller parents/carers about RSE can result in them choosing to keep their child(ren) home from school on those days when RSE is taught or to withdraw them from education completely to Electively Home Educate (EHE). It is therefore important that schools take proactive steps to work with families in a sensitive way around the issues that can arise.

 Good practice in schools

• Speak with the Traveller parents before sex and relationship lessons are delivered, so that parents are aware of the content.
• Deliver content to girls and boys separately.
• Deliver RSE lessons to Traveller parents/carers first so they are confident about the content and the delivery and can make an informed decision about whether or not to allow their child to participate.
• Where possible get female members of staff to speak to Traveller Mums about the content.

A set of books have been produced by specialist advisory teachers with the help of members of Hampshire’s GRTS communities to support the KS2 relationship and sex education curriculum.

The books follow Jesse and Mary-Kate as they find out how to keep themselves safe as they grow up within their community and online. They find out who their safe adults are and when they might need to talk to them. They learn which parts of their bodies should be kept private and what the medical words for those parts are.

Whilst the books are aimed at children and families from GTRSB communities, they are suitable for children from all walks of life. 

We have a couple of copies which can be loaned, please contact ellen.tout@devon.gov.uk

“We must stand firm against rising intolerance and build a future of dignity, security, justice & human rights for all."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

10 December 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world's most ground breaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. 

Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.

The 2023 theme is dignity, freedom, and justice for all

 Read more here: Human Rights Day | United Nations

Since the evacuation of families from Afghanistan in August 2021, our team has been leading on education of Afghan refugee children. Over the last two years, we have supported 100+ newly arrived Afghan refugee children and their families with school admissions, educational visits, inductions, EAL training, HL GCSE exams, EAL/Home Language Assessments, advisory consultations, transitions and English language teaching.

Many children who were accommodated in the bridging hotels from August 2021 to August 2023 had limited educational experience when they arrived in Devon. Additionally, their displacement was unprepared and in many cases, traumatic. The resettlement plans were uncertain therefore some children and their families experienced a lot of movement between other LAs/hotels. Our bridging accommodation support programme was very well received in schools; feedback about children’s progress was extremely positive:

 “All the pupils have settled into school very well, they are all happy and enjoy coming to school. They have all made friends with their peers, they have a positive attitude to their learning and are very keen to learn. Their spoken English is coming on very well, they are becoming more confident as their language develops talking to various adults around the school. The pupils work in small groups outside the classroom, within the class and are beginning to work independently. Thank you for all your support it is much appreciated.” (Montgomery primary)

This academic year, we are providing schools with our EAL core offer. If you have a new arrival from Afghanistan, please follow the usual EMTAS registration process to request support.

This year, our team was supporting Islamophobia Awareness Month by offering schools bilingual storytelling sessions. The aim of the sessions was to promote diversity by exposing all children to other languages and cultures. These sessions have been very well received in our schools and children absolutely loved learning a new language!

 “On the 6^th November we were lucky enough to be visited by Sahar, she came in to read a story to the children in Hedgehogs class, as well as a child from Rabbits class. Sahar read 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and explained to the children that she was going to read to them in Arabic and in English. Sahar showed so much kindness, enthusiasm and engagement and supported all the children in accessing the story and the actions in order to help retell the story. Sahar also followed up the story by teaching us the Arabic words for the numbers 1, 2, 3 and thank you. Sahar was and always is so wonderful with the children and I feel extremely grateful and fortunate that she was able to do this with the children. Thank you Sahar." (Ladysmith infant school)

Bilingual and interpreter support

This academic year our Ukraine Support Teachers have delivered over 600hrs of bilingual support to children and interpreter support during parent meetings already.

We are still running our fully funded bilingual support for year 7s and Reception age children, as well as delivering our core offer of bilingual and interpreter support.  

Our core off is already funded by maintained schools, so there is no additional cost and many other settings are using the additional funding that was announced in the Leadership update to invest in bilingual support for their children.