St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School
Learn to love, love to learn
At St. Bernadette's Catholic School you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you.
Head Teacher: Angela Cowings
SEN Contact: A. Hulse
Hob Moor Road, Yardley, Birmingham, B25 8QL
0121 783 7232
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School of Sanctuary at St Bernadette’s
For some time now, our news media has been reporting stories about migrants, refugees, small boats, the expense of housing people in hotels etc. Much of this has been quite misleading and dehumanising with inaccuracies and wrong ideas taking hold in the minds of many.
As a Catholic school, St Bernadette’s is looking to explore the realities of the asylum system and the experiences of people going through it right now. Our mission statement makes clear that, “… We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special.” We must never forget that Jesus himself was a refugee. We will therefore, be seeking to gain the award of ‘School of Sanctuary’.
What is a School of Sanctuary?
A School of Sanctuary is a school that has received a Sanctuary Award from City of Sanctuary UK or a partner organisation in recognition of its good practice in fostering a culture of welcome, belonging and solidarity for those seeking safety. (1)
How can St Bernadette’s become a School of Sanctuary?
To become a School of Sanctuary, a school must take an intentional and reflective approach to reviewing and refining school practice in relevant areas and demonstrate that they have implemented three key principles:
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LEARN Schools help their students, staff and wider community learn about what it means to be seeking sanctuary and the issues surrounding forced migration.
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EMBED Schools are committed to creating a safe and inclusive culture of welcome that benefits everybody, including anyone in their community seeking sanctuary and working with people seeking sanctuary to co-produce their sanctuary efforts and practice.
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SHARE Schools proudly share their values and activities with their local communities and work collaboratively to build our movement of welcome. (2)
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As we move forward with the award, we will be partnering up with St Chad’s (who are already working hard in this endeavour), making collections for those in need and learning about the real experiences of people seeking refuge. We believe this will be of huge benefit to our children and community in an ever more precarious world.
Notes (1) and (2) taken from the Schools of Sanctuary website.