St Hilda's awarded School of Sanctuary

First published on: 12th February 2021

Our vision for St Hilda’s builds upon the words of St Paul, who wrote to the church in Ephesus “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

This example of inclusion and sanctuary is one that we continually strive to emulate in every area of our school life. Our core values of hope, wisdom, community, dignity and equality are the bedrock of our pastoral care. They are woven throughout our diverse curriculum and enable our connections with local and international communities to flourish. Our celebration of these values led us to the Schools of Sanctuary initiative.
Schools of Sanctuary are a growing network of schools across the UK, who support young people seeking sanctuary, create a culture of welcome, and raise awareness of the issues faced by refugees and asylum seekers.

Our accreditation involved three key principles: for all staff and students to learn about inclusion and safety; take action to embed what we learn in the day-to-day life of the school; and to share our achievements with others.

“St Hilda's Church of England School is an amazing place of Sanctuary, from the work developed through the Houses and Charities like Elpitha Hope UK and their work in Refugee Camps in Greece, to the breadth of curriculum, from Art, exploring the Sol Calero exhibition considering belonging and cultural identity, to Geography sessions exploring inequality. The sense of equality, compassion and hope is truly embedded and permeates all aspects of school life.

The powerful and emotive work delivered by a Refugee from Syria, able to recount his experience of regime and escape, encourages empathy and provides a meaningful dialogue and a true understanding of the concept of sanctuary.

We were delighted to award School sanctuary status and we believe that St Hilda's is an outstanding example of a secondary school approach which we can share across our family of schools in Liverpool and beyond.”

- Gill Rowlands, EMTAS Manager / School of Sanctuary Lead Liverpool

We would like to thank all of our friends in the Diocese who provide learning opportunities for our students and bless our staff, and for those who pray for us, it makes such a difference. We would love to share our journey of welcome and inclusion with you, please feel free to connect with us- The St Hilda’s Family.
 

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