 Gypsies, Roma and Travellers have the lowest educational attainment at all key stages up to and including KS4, out of any ethnic groups in the UK. They also have amongst the highest rate of exclusions out of any ethnic groups in the UK. It is thought that around only half of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Showmen pupils attend secondary school.
We are able to support primary schools by:
- Providing guidance to families on completing applications, what to expect from secondary school and how good communication can ensure families are comfortable with the topics being taught.
- Liaise with secondary settings to provide enhanced transition.
- Supporting schools and families in identifying Traveller families. Many may not realise they can register their ethnicity or are concerned about prejudice and discrimination.
- Providing ‘aspiration’ and ‘what to expect from secondary school’ lessons to Traveller pupils through our fully funded Future Focus workshops, further information available on our website.
- Working with Traveller families who are considering Home Education, to ensure they have the correct information and support.
If you are aware of any Traveller pupils in your school who have not chosen or are at risk of not taking up a secondary school place, or are considering Home Education, please do contact us so that we can discuss support for the families. You can reach Ellen Tout, GRTS advisory teacher, at ellen.tout@devon.gov.uk
How Traveller friendly is your school?
Curriculum
Is Traveller culture represented and reflected across all curriculum areas? For example:
- As examples in topics about “Home” or “All About Me”?
- Using Traveller images among stimuli for art, music or writing?
- Using fairground rides to show motors or gears?
- Including the Roma experience when discussing the Holocaust?
School environment
Are there positive images of Travellers in the learning environment?
- Does the library include books which feature positive Traveller
- Characters?
- Is there a range of non-fiction examples?
- Is Romani identified and seen as an equal language?
Staff
Are staff knowledgeable and confident when talking about Traveller culture, including office staff and governors?
- Would Traveller awareness training be helpful?
- Do staff have high expectations for all GRTS pupils, including their attendance and their future aspirations.
Whole school approach
Do you know who your Traveller pupils are?
- How well do you know and work with your Traveller families?
- Is there a clear policy in use when responding to racist incidents, including those against Gypsy, Roma & Traveller pupils?
- Does the school have an inclusive welcome for parents who are anxious or reluctant to come into the building?
- Do you celebrate Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month?
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The theme for this year’s GRTHM is “What does ‘family’ mean to you?”
Please see our GRTHM webpage for resources to help your school celebrate and details of this year’s competition.
You can also book GRTHM school assemblies by contacting Ellen Tout at ellen.tout@devon.gov.uk
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The Healing Classrooms programme aims to support schools and educators to develop inclusive and nurturing learning spaces where refugee and asylum-seeking students can gain the necessary academic, social and emotional skills to develop their full potential.
The IRC offer free training sessions and resources to educators and schools supporting refugee and asylum-seeking students in the UK.
Their basics training covers the three steps to the Healing Classrooms approach – a trauma-informed approach to welcoming and teaching refugee students. Their CPD course covers two sessions on trauma in refugee communities, followed by the three steps. This course has slightly more interaction and different case studies and activities so staff are welcome to attend both.
All participants will receive a free accompanying handbook for whichever course you choose.
You can find sign up forms on our website to book your place!
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We have recently updated our EAL guidance, please take time to read the updated version and let us know if you have any questions.
This term, we have introduced changes to our bilingual support programme. Initially, a 12hr package will be arranged to support a new arrival or a child who is underachieving.
This can include:
- initial interview with parents, teacher, and child
- supporting the child, 1:1 or in class for four sessions x 3 hours*
- use the induction checklist (and interview checklist) as guidelines for support
- provide support for parents, teacher and child
- write sessional visit notes
- communicate with parents
* this may vary according to need, availability and travel distance. This also may include group work.
If after an initial 6hrs of bilingual support the Bilingual support worker feels the child’s EAL proficiency is ‘developing competence (C)’ and there are no concerns, then the bilingual support will cease.
However, if towards the end of the 12hrs, the Bilingual support worker feels their EAL proficiency is still below ‘developing competence (C)’ and/or there are other language development concerns, (not SEND related) then the EMTAS team will offer an additional 6hrs of bilingual support at a later date.
Bilingual storytelling has many benefits for bilingual as well as native-speaking children!
Our team can offer your school a storytelling session in 10 different languages! If you’d like one of our Bilingual Support Workers to come into your school and tell a story in another language, just get in touch! We also offer other cultural celebration workshops, including a session on Ramadan and Eid!
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As well as assessing EAL children within the curriculum teachers/EAL coordinators need to monitor progress in EAL. Using an EAL proficiency assessment framework can:
- Guide teachers to focus also on the development of the language children need to access the curriculum.
- Provide teachers with a baseline to monitor child progress
- Support more advanced EAL children who are not yet fluent to reach their potential.
We now request the Proficiency level data for all bilingual support bookings.
Teachers/EAL coordinators should continue assessing EAL proficiency until a child is fluent. This means that those children who may plateau at level C could perform even better given the right kind of support.
If you need support in understanding the EAL Proficiency assessment process, please get in touch.
Many counties and schools across England are raising awareness of the Metal Spoon Initiative. A Guardian investigation found that over the last three years more than 3500 reports of forced marriages were made to the Police. The Guardian article goes on to provide an example that ‘ in May a woman from Birmingham was jailed for four-and-a-half years for duping her 17-year-old daughter into travelling to Pakistan and forcing her to marry a man 16 years her senior.’
The school holidays are peak times for relatives and parents to take children abroad for forced marriages. The national charity, Karma Nirvana received nearly 200 calls to their Forced marriages hotline from children under the age of 15 last year alone.
The Metal spoon initiative is an initiative set up by charities that all schools can share with their children. The advice is that if a child who fears they are being taken abroad to be forcibly married should put a spoon in their underwear to trigger airport metal detectors and thus alerting the authorities. We would like to encourage our Devon schools to have this discussion around this safety measure with their children, as this vital advice can not only save children from forced marriages, but trafficking, abuse, sexploitation and FGM.
A school in Leeds has gone a step further and is providing spoons to their children and you can view the full article on the Guardian’s website. You can contact Karma Nirvana for a literature pack.
 Cultural exchange
There are many key celebrations and awareness days in May.
Black inclusion week 13 - 19 May
Black Inclusion Week 2024 is set to be the biggest yet with ground breaking events, inspiration speakers and content for everyone as we explore our 2024 theme Empowered for change: Building a better future together.
George Floyd’s Anniversary 25 May
George Floyd’s Anniversary is a day of remembrance held annually on May 25th to honour George Floyd’s life and the fight against racism.
👉 Visit our cultural exchange web pages for resources
Exeter Respect Festival 2024 marks the 27th anniversary of the first Respect Festival in Exeter, aimed at bringing communities together to celebrate their differences and commonalities. This year’s theme is to celebrate ‘Friendship Through Diversity’. It is so important to express our commitment to diversity and bring all communities together to celebrate friendship and harmony. This year’s festival is in memory of Chris Newman who was a precious member of Exeter Respect Festival’s organising committee. |
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