Refugee Week at Northbourne Park School

Pupils at Northbourne Park School have been marking Refugee Week by learning about the reasons for the refugee crisis in Europe, watching films featuring stories of refugees and creating ‘Welcome’ cards.

Liz Hayes, Head of Geography and Religious Studies, said: ‘Our pupils have been really engaged and interested. I often found they have seen news items about refugees, but not understood the wider picture. It has been useful for them to have the opportunity to ask questions and dispel some of the myths around this topic.’

Year 7 pupils wrote 20-word poems, to mark the 20th birthday of Refugee Week, inspired by a photograph of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar.

One pupil commented ‘It’s impossible to imagine how scared they must feel.’

Pupils also looked at the perilous journeys of refugees escaping war zones. They discussed the challenging task of choosing what to take with them, giving them a deeper understanding of experiencing such an ordeal.