What is A Day of Welcome?

A Day of Welcome is a day of solidarity and learning in schools that aims to build a culture of welcome and understanding for refugees and asylum seekers. The celebration is designed to support schools and families in marking Refugee Week and to send a clear message that for those in need of sanctuary, our communities are welcoming places.

HHS Lillie-Rose McCormick

Who is it for?

A Day of Welcome is for both schools and for families who are home learning. You will find activities suitable for any age. It is an opportunity to engage with issues relating to refugee migration, and to understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary.

What does it involve?

There is no fixed template for how A Day of Welcome should operate. You can pick and choose what fits your situation from our bank of resources and recommendations, which can be accessed here: https://www.norfolksos.co.uk/resources/dow

A Day of Welcome is designed to be a focal point for children and young people to be involved with Refugee Week:

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You may decide to use one of our resources to structure learning at home or at school. You may visit or signpost family-friendly Refugee Week activities happening online that we recommend. Older children might take a virtual school trip to the Havens East exhibition, which uncovers the little-known story of Basque child refugees in Cambridge and Norfolk. Or you can bring your own ideas and activities to the day that fit your situation or setting. Whatever you do, please get in touch to share your involvement info@norfolksos.co.uk.

What Inspired the Day of Welcome

For 2022 & 2023, the resources for schools are inspired by the stories of the Kinder Transport. For 2022, this included special author webcasts with authors Miriam Halahmy and Michael Rosen, who were joined by more than 11,000 children online!

How can it support teachers?

In 2021, A Day of Welcome and UNHCR partnered in the delivery of ‘Teaching for Refugees’, a 10-week online pilot CPD course for UK teachers. More than 40 teachers completed the pilot course. From 2022, UNHCR and UK Schools of Sanctuary will use this model as part of a pan-organisational teacher training programme.

Who leads the Day of Welcome?

A Day of Welcome is co-Directed by Dr Jeannette Baxter (Anglia Ruskin University) and Jake Rose-Brown (Norfolk Schools of Sanctuary) and in partnership with UNHCR, and with the support of Refugee Week, Amnesty International and UK City of Sanctuary.

Please join us to mark A Day of Welcome to learn about refugee migration and to send a clear message to those in need of sanctuary that our communities are welcoming places.

Please take a look and get involved:

 https://www.norfolksos.co.uk/resources/dow