Our vision at City of Sanctuary UK is that every community will proudly offer sanctuary to people forced to flee violence and persecution. To get there, we support a vibrant network, from community groups to councils, schools to libraries, all working to provide welcome to people seeking sanctuary. Schools of Sanctuary works with a growing network of more than 330 primary and secondary schools, all committed to providing support to the thousands of young people seeking sanctuary in the UK, whilst creating a culture of welcome and inclusion for all refugees and people seeking asylum.

To be recognised as a School of Sanctuary, schools must demonstrate that the whole school community has learnt about migration issues, embedded policies and practices of welcome and inclusion, and shared their learning and efforts with the wider community and Schools of Sanctuary network. In doing so, Schools of Sanctuary celebrates schools that proactively and effectively meet the needs of students from sanctuary-seeking backgrounds and/or take steps to challenge misinformation and inaccurate rhetoric around migration and promote social cohesion.

To support schools in their efforts, the Schools of Sanctuary team at City of Sanctuary UK organise regular events, signpost resources and advice, connect schools to local groups or organisations with whom they can partner and share case studies of best practice, all available on the website and outlined in the termly Schools of Sanctuary newsletter.