Blue Coat is proud to be working towards School of Sanctuary status this academic year.

A School of Sanctuary is a school that is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all, especially those seeking sanctuary in the UK. This could be people whose lives were in danger in their own country, who have troubles at home or are just looking for a space of safety.

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. It is a school that is proud to be a place of safety and inclusion for all.

We have made a commitment to

1. LEARN: Help our students, staff and wider community learn about what it means to be seeking sanctuary and the issues surrounding forced migration.
2. EMBED: Blue coat is committed to creating a safe and inclusive culture of welcome that benefits everybody, including anyone in our community seeking sanctuary.
3. SHARE: Blue Coat will share how our CHRIST values support and inform our activities with the local community to educate, inspire and help those who do not understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary.

Our pledge as a School of Sanctuary:

“We support the ‘City of Sanctuary’ vision that the UK will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter, and agree to act in accordance with City of Sanctuary values and apply the network principles within our work (as far as our specific context enables us to).
We recognise the contribution of people seeking sanctuary. Sanctuary seekers are welcomed, included and supported within our context. We expect our branches or local groups (if any) to support their local City of Sanctuary group if one exists, and will facilitate contact between them and their local City of Sanctuary group.”