Wardle Academy achieves ‘School of Sanctuary’ status

Wardle Academy, EAL coordinator, Ms Tetlow and Director of the City of Sanctuary, Charles Kwaku-Odoi and Mrs Fisher, Headteacher

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Wardle Academy, a partner academy of the Wardle Trust, ahas become a School of Sanctuary.

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

Wardle Academy is now part of a movement committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for refugees seeking sanctuary from war and persecution.

Wardle Academy’s EAL Co-Ordinator, Jenny Tetlow said: “Wardle Academy has worked extremely hard over the past three years, welcoming refugees and asylum seekers from all over the world.

“The accreditation for School of Sanctuary means so much to me personally, as it recognises the excellent practice that goes on within the school, which then reflects in the happiness of all our EAL students.”

The award was presented to Ms Tetlow and Mrs Fisher, headteacher, by Charles Kwaku-Odoi, Director of the City of Sanctuary, Manchester during a school community assembly.

During the assembly, a group of EAL students spoke of the impact that the EAL provision at the school has had on them and helped to further educate some of the other students by explaining about refugees and their own personal journeys into the UK.

The students were joined on stage by Rebecca Whitehead, local singer/songwriter, who was touched by the student’s personal struggles and composed a song dedicated to them. This was sung live to a rapturous audience, who were moved by the performance.