School of Sanctuary

St Mary's - School of Sanctuary

St Mary's Lewisham was the first school in London to become a School of Sanctuary in June 2021 - read more here.

This award recognises our work supporting and empowering students, parents/carers and the local community to take action in improving the experiences of people who are seeking sanctuary in the UK.

Some of our recent successes include:

Working with Citizens UK to abolish the £1,102 child citizenship fee for families that are unable to afford it (June 2022)
In March 2022, after yrs of organising, our campaigning with Citizens UK and other UK schools and charities all children who are eligible, regardless of parents' immigration status, can claim Free School Meals - watch our video below.

You can find out more about our work to become a School of Sanctuary here by reading the many posts on our blog:

School of Sanctuary Blog

Where to find help

Our community activities

Our Story (video) - new arrivals share their story

"Home" - an Aardman and Save the Children UK short film

A School of Sanctuary:

Is a place that fosters a culture of welcome and safety for people seeking sanctuary, including asylum seeking and refugee families.
Educates the whole school community about the human right to sanctuary and identifies practical means for schools to demonstrate that commitment.
Builds empathy and intercultural awareness through promoting the voices and contributions of people seeking sanctuary, encouraging an understanding of the experiences of displaced people and helping to combat stereotypes.

City of Sanctuary pledge
“We support the ‘City of Sanctuary’ vision that the UK will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution. We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter, and agree to act in accordance with City of Sanctuary values and apply the network principles within our work (as far as our specific context enables us to). We recognise the contribution of people seeking sanctuary. Sanctuary seekers are welcomed, included and supported within our context. We expect our branches or local groups (if any) to support their local City of Sanctuary group if one exists, and will facilitate contact between them and their local City of Sanctuary group.”