Chaplain welcome video
School of Sanctuary
Schools of Sanctuary is a growing network of more than one thousand primary and secondary schools, nurseries, and sixth forms committed to creating a culture of welcome, understanding, and belonging for those forced to flee their home countries.
At St Anne’s, we are working towards achieving School of Sanctuary status. We are doing this by taking an active role in fundraising for our local refugee charity, recognising and celebrating key events such as International Migrants Day, and participating in Refugee Week, among other initiatives.
At St Anne’s, we believe that a school should foster a culture of welcome and safety for people seeking sanctuary, including asylum seekers and refugee families.
A School of Sanctuary:
- Educates the whole community about the human right to sanctuary and identifies practical ways in which schools can demonstrate this commitment.
- Builds empathy and intercultural awareness by promoting the voices and contributions of people seeking sanctuary.
- Encourages understanding of the experiences of displaced people and helps to challenge stereotypes.
What We Have Achieved So Far
We are proud of the steps we have already taken on our journey towards becoming a School of Sanctuary:
- Delivered whole-school oracy assemblies focused on refugees and the theme of belonging.
- Celebrated Refugee Week through a range of activities, including a visit to Warwick Arts Centre.
- Marked International Migrants Day with a dedicated assembly and class-based learning activities.
- Based our National Writing Day work around the theme of refugees.
- Celebrated “Share Your Heart for Refugees” as a whole school, creating messages of kindness and support for those in need.
- Welcomed “Stories of Hope and Home” to deliver a full day of workshops for children from Nursery to Year 6.
We remain committed to continuing this important work and strengthening our culture of welcome, compassion, and inclusion for all.
Please take a look at the School of Sanctuary website for further information:
https://schools.cityofsanctuary.org/
On 6 July 2026, we were incredibly proud to be officially recognised as a School of Sanctuary.
Achieving this recognition has been the result of a great deal of hard work and commitment from our school community, both within and beyond the school. We have worked closely with a range of outreach organisations and charities, and we are delighted to have become one of the latest schools to receive this important recognition.
This is just the beginning of our journey. We look forward to continuing our work, taking part in many more activities and initiatives, and further supporting the aims and values of the Schools of Sanctuary movement.
On 18 September 2026, we will be hosting a whole-school celebration to mark this wonderful achievement. We have some fantastic activities planned and are looking forward to celebrating with our entire school community.
Stay tuned to our X (formerly Twitter) account for updates, photographs and highlights from the celebration.