Harper Green School Becomes Bolton's First Secondary School to Win Schools of Sanctuary National Award
Monday, 20th May 2024
Harper Green School has been awarded the Schools of Sanctuary National Award, becoming Bolton's first secondary school to achieve this. This award recognises the schools commitment to being a welcoming place for those seeking safety.
In September, Harper Green School proudly signed the City of Sanctuary organisation pledge to become a School of Sanctuary. To achieve this prestigious national award, they demonstrated the school’s commitment in several key areas:
- Creating a Welcoming Environment: Being a place of welcome for all.
- Educational Commitment: Educating students about the reasons behind forced displacement.
- Recognition of Enrichment: Acknowledging that the UK is enriched by the arrival of new individuals.
- Inclusive Support: Ensuring students from all backgrounds feel seen, supported, and included.
“Accepting” is one of the school's core values. They pride themselves on being an inclusive community that welcomes the ideas, beliefs, and values of everyone. They ensure that all students, especially those facing unique challenges, are fully integrated into school life by encouraging participation in extracurricular activities, providing essential resources like dictionaries, and offering peer mentoring through the school's buddy system.
Harper Green’s dedication to academic and personal development is evident in its tailored interventions, including English as an Additional Language (EAL) support, qualifications like the Step Up to English Silver and Gold, and optional extra languages GCSEs.
The school has undertaken numerous fundraising activities to assist those in need, both within and outside school. It celebrates various religious events, such as Diwali and Ramadan, and this year, hosted its first Community Iftar. The school offers inclusive extracurricular activities, including the Young Interpreters programme and various sports clubs, ensuring diverse participation. They collaborate with external organisations, inviting speakers with lived experiences as asylum seekers and engaging students with historical lessons through projects like the Holocaust survivor art project. The new school librarian has also organised many exciting events to stimulate students' minds.
Mrs Fercsi, EAL Intervention Coordinator, said, "Students have connected remarkably well with this project. Our Inclusion and Diversity group has expanded to include Schools of Sanctuary ambassadors. They were eager to share with the judging panel the many positive actions we have taken to help others, including those fleeing violence and persecution. This award reflects our deep commitment to providing a safe space, and I am incredibly proud to have achieved this on behalf of everyone involved."
Find out more about Schools of Sanctuary at https://schools.cityofsanctuary.org/.
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