We are working towards a world where all refugee and asylum-seeking children and young people can access education, thrive in education, and use that education to create a hopeful, brighter future.
To this end, we’re we’ve set ourselves three key goals:
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Education access: Young refugees will be better able to access education, from primary school to university
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Education thriving: Young refugees will achieve better academic and psychosocial outcomes
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Education change: Education systems will be environments where young refugees are welcomed and enabled to thrive
Strategy overview
Pillar 1: Education Access
More than half of the world’s refugee children are out of school, and only 6% access university. In the UK, they face waits of up to 9 months for school places on arrival.
As they progress to further and higher education, eligibility, finance, language and academic barriers accumulate, leaving young refugees locked out of education and denied the chance to build a future.
What we will do
This pillar will bring together all of our work getting refugee children and young people through the door of education in the UK, from primary school to university, and will incorporate:
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Our national Access to Education Advice Line
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Our Access to Schools project
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Our Access to FE project
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Our Access to HE project, including the Displaced Scholars’ Initiative
Pillar 2: Education Thriving
Getting into education is just the first step.
Once there, language barriers, gaps in previous learning and mental health challenges mean young refugees achieve poorer education outcomes - with unaccompanied children 3 years behind non-migrant children by the time they complete secondary school.
What we will do
This pillar will bring together all of our work supporting refugee children and young people to thrive academically and psychosocially once in education, and will incorporate:
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Early Skills (Orientation Programme)
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Academic Learning (Educational Mentoring and Study Groups)
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Education Wellbeing (Social and Emotional Learning)
Pillar 3: Education Change
There is no overarching policy framework for the integration of refugee learners into the UK education system, and there are key evidence gaps in what works best in education for refugee children.
School leaders and teachers want to help, but lack the needed training and support. Good practice is often hidden and the expertise of young refugees is not considered in policy making.
What we will do
This pillar will bring together all of our work influencing policies, structures and improving educational practice, and will incorporate:
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Research, policy and advocacy
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Youth Advocacy and leadership
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Training and teacher networks
Collaborating with and being shaped by the views and experiences of young refugees will be central to this pillar - our work to change education systems will be done with, not for, those with lived experience of navigating access to and thriving in education as a refugee.
The strategy
2024 - 2027
