Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Schools of Sanctuary

In July 2022 Holy Family School became an accredited School of Sanctuary.

An accredited School of Sanctuary is one that has received recognition from City of Sanctuary UK or a partner organisation in the form of a Sanctuary Award for its good practice in fostering a culture of welcome and inclusion.

School of Sanctuary Award

What is a School of Sanctuary?

A School of Sanctuary is a school that is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for those seeking sanctuary. It is a space for those whose lives were in danger in their own country, who have troubles at home or are just looking for a space where they can feel safe.

A School of Sanctuary is a school that helps its students, staff and wider community to understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary and to extend a welcome to everyone as equal, valued members of the school community. It is a school that is proud to be a place of safety and inclusion for all.

Schools of Sanctuary is an initiative which aims to:

  • Promote positive attitudes within schools and their communities around people seeking sanctuary.
  • Support schools to take positive steps and to be proud of being places of safety and inclusion for all.
  • Recognise and celebrate schools that are committed to welcoming and supporting people seeking sanctuary.

What Did We Do?

To be eligible for the award, we had to demonstrate that we had implemented three key principles:

  • LEARN – As a school we help students, staff and wider community learn about what it means to be seeking sanctuary and the issues surrounding forced migration.
  • EMBED – We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive culture of welcome that benefits everybody, including anyone in their community seeking sanctuary.
  • SHARE – We share our values and activities with our local community.

We will keep you up to date with events on our website and Twitter pages as we continue our work supporting refugees and asylum seekers, as well as supporting Schools of Sanctuary.

Renewing Our School of Sanctuary Award

On 15 December 2025, we were proud to renew our School of Sanctuary award, an achievement that lies at the very heart of everything we do as a school and is deeply rooted in our Catholic Social Teaching.

At the heart of the School of Sanctuary ethos is the message from St Matthew’s Gospel: “For I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” This powerful message is displayed throughout our school and guides our daily actions and values.

Our children, as leaders, were the driving force behind the renewal of this award. They organised a range of events and special days to raise awareness and show support for refugees and asylum seekers, demonstrating compassion, leadership and a strong sense of social responsibility.

As part of this journey, our staff took part in a special retreat day at St Chad’s Sanctuary, where we learned about the vital work carried out to support refugees and asylum seekers in our local community. This experience helped deepen our understanding and strengthened our commitment to being a place of welcome, safety and belonging.

We were delighted to welcome visitors from School of Sanctuary to our school, who joined us for a special assembly. During the assembly, our children shared the journey we had taken to renew the award, reflecting on what they have learned and how they continue to live out the values of welcome, kindness and inclusion.

Renewing our School of Sanctuary award reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that everyone in our community feels valued, safe and welcomed.