Our Refugee workshops invite children to explore the lives of refugees – and those who have welcomed them – across the years, promoting empathy and tolerance amongst us all. Refugee Week will take place between the 17th – 23rd June. Workshops take place in your school.

 

A Home is More Than a House (KS1 – 4 / PS1 – S6)

Thinking positively about the value of “home”.

Whilst great efforts are made to rehouse those who are torn from their homes, it can take many years of struggle to build a new “home”. Thinking about this, A Home is More Than a House starts with an activity designed to support pupils in considering and sharing what “home” means to them – and what people torn from theirs might miss. Moving on to the creation of simple origami books, which pupils will fill with their own illustrated glossary of the things that really make a house a home.

Duration: 1 hour – half a day, depending on your needs (shorter workshops might require you to devote additional time to allow students to complete their work)

Exploring: emotional wellbeing, art media, presentation

Cross-Curricular Links: Literacy, History, Geography, Art, DT, Drama, RE, PSHE

 

Other Refugee School Workshops include:

 

Refuge Rhymes Primary Schools – Poetry Workshop

Refuge Rhymes comprises workshops in which pupils explore and use the poetic form of dramatic monologue to write persuasive, collaborative verses focusing on: Refuge for Animals (EYFS – Year 2/P1 – P3) … Refuge for Friends (Years 3 & 4/P4 & P5 … and Refuge for Strangers (Years 5 & 6/P6 & P7).

Refuge Rhymes can accommodate the whole of up to a two-form entry school in a single day, opening with an assembly at which a member of our team shares a favourite poem. If time allows, we can include a second assembly, too – during which classes perform their poems. It’s also possible, too, to deliver longer workshops to fewer classes – and these longer workshops would see children writing some of their own individual poems too. Whichever option you choose, though, we will send you designed and illustrated versions of all the work.

 

Refuge Rhymes Secondary Schools – Poetry Workshop

Recent events across the world have made us all even more aware of the need to offer refuge to people less fortunate than ourselves. But more aware, too, of the charged atmosphere often surrounding the issue. Refuge Rhymes strips away the rhetoric in workshops seeing students exploring and using the poetic form of dramatic monologue to write persuasive, collaborative verses focusing on the raw humanity of the challenge.

Refuge Rhymes can accommodate up to 30 students at a time in workshops lasting from a single lesson, allowing a member of our team to work with a large number of students in just one day. It’s also possible, too, to deliver longer workshops to fewer groups – and these longer workshops would see students writing some of their own individual poems too. Whichever option you choose, though, we will send you designed and illustrated versions of all the work!

Suitable for: KS2 – KS4

 

Welcome Gems (KS1 – KS4 / P1 – S6)

Reflecting on ways we can make newcomers feel at home.

Unfortunately, the news is often full of stories recounting how refugees can sometimes be made to feel less than welcome in their host countries and communities. Designed to remind us of the value of shared and positive pasts and futures, this emotionally engaging (and safe) workshop uses drama in everyday situations to help pupils consider the impacts of being made to feel unwelcome – before turning this all round by designing their own “Welcome Gems” – a series of vignettes illustrating how being welcoming can improve the well-being and futures of all. And children can go on, of course, to “spread the word” by sharing these with other classes and/or parents and careers!

Duration: 1½ hours – half a day, depending on your needs

Exploring: empathetic thinking, speaking and listening skills

Cross-Curricular Links: Literacy, History, Geography, Drama, RE, PSHE

Suitable for: KS1 – KS4