Towards an understanding of how children and families with experience of seeking asylum can be supported by educational communities in the UK

Abstract

Individuals seeking asylum in the UK may face long periods of uncertainty and increased stress due to the complex asylum-seeking process, along with potential experiences of discrimination and hostility from their ‘host’ country. For families seeking asylum, schools may provide opportunities for a positive and successful integration due to the role schools play in fostering a cohesive local community. In order to understand how schools can provide this support, this thesis seeks to explore perspectives from school staff as well as families with lived experience of seeking asylum in the UK.
This thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter one introduces the topic and the rationale for the thesis. In order to understand how school staff experience working with and supporting pupils who have sought asylum in the UK, Chapter two presents a systematic literature review. The review consists of nine studies of qualitative design and finds five over-arching themes following a thematic synthesis of the data. The themes depict the interacting factors that influence how staff work with this population and describe the role of: communication, knowledge, provision and resources, a holistic approach, and compassion. Implications are provided for a wide audience, highlighting the value of a systemic approach to education for children and young people who have sought asylum in the UK. Finally, Chapter three presents the findings of a qualitative study exploring the perspectives of families who have sought asylum in the UK, and how they found the process of joining a school. Parents were invited to bring their children to the interview, with eight participants taking part (five parents and three children) across five interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used, identifying four themes: life as a refugee, navigating a path to integration, communication, and school as a sanctuary. Implications are provided for the educational psychology profession, along with a summary of recommendations made by the families for school settings to implement.

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ORCID for Jana Kreppner: orcid.org/0000-0003-3527-9083

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