Bradford Schools and Colleges of Sanctuary

14/10/2026

Just making it clear 💅

It's a big day for Bradford as the Council debate the Reform-led motion to withdraw from being a Local Authority of Sanctuary.

Placard ready ✔ 🧡

City of Sanctuary Bradford

13/10/2026

What keeps you motivated at work and reminds you why you do what you do?

I have this poster on the wall by my desk (a desk buried by a mountain of scrappy to-do lists and cups of tea!).

And I look at it a lot.

Perhaps our work has been featured in the news again. Perhaps someone has made a comment that I haven’t quite found the words to challenge, or a tricky bridge-building conversation about migration hasn’t really gone to plan. Perhaps it’s another announcement of a dehumanising asylum policy. Or perhaps it’s just regular tiredness!

“No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.”

I think about the people I met in Calais. I think about the Afghan family I met in Bradford the other week. I think about the people behind the headlines, the policies and the statistics. The families trying to find safety, trying to give their children a chance at a better, safer life.

And I try to remember that hope is a discipline. It isn't always a feeling and it certainly doesn't mean ignoring how difficult things are. Sometimes, hope is just choosing to carry on, to keep listening, to keep challenging dehumanising narratives - even when progress feels painfully slow!

We can't fix everything and we can't help everyone. But we can make a difference to someone. And we can keep reminding ourselves, and each other, of the humanity that so often gets lost in this endless debate.

Have you got a phrase or reason to remind you why you do what you do? Let us know!

Massive thanks to for producing this beautiful piece of art 🧡

City of Sanctuary Bradford

07/10/2026

We are tired of being attacked and political leaders misrepresenting our work 😞

Donate now and help build this movement of welcome: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/cityofsanctuaryuk

06/10/2026

What would you say if a pupil made a hostile comment about migrants or refugees in your classroom?

Knowing how to respond in the moment can be challenging - so many of us have been there. Our new practical workshop, Speak Up for Sanctuary: The Power of Conversation, really aims to support and equip teachers by exploring how we can respond calmly and purposefully to misinformation, prejudice and hostility while maintaining positive relationships and a safe classroom. Tricky stuff!

It's free and open to all primary and secondary teachers in Leeds and Bradford (on a first come, first served basis) whether you’re already a School of Sanctuary, working towards your award, or simply interested in this topic.

📅 February 2027
📩 Email or message us to register your interest.
🍰 There will be cake

23/09/2026

City of Sanctuary UK, alongside the University of Newcastle, have created a great new animation series for schools as part of our new 'How to Teach about Forced Migration' project (more to come on this soon!)

These animations feature some of the stories (and voices) of young people seeking sanctuary in our network. 'The UK's Migration tapestry' is the first in a series of four - check it our below 🧡

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-2DfcKb8h4

City of Sanctuary

15/09/2026

Did you know Italians brought ice cream to Bradford?!

In the 19th century, Italians came to Bradford seeking safety, stability and new opportunities after war and hardship in Italy. Some found work in the mills, while others brought the flavours, skills and traditions of home , including the art of making and selling ice cream! And you can still find Nero's Ice Creams in Bradford today!

A Spoonful of Sugar is a brilliant learning resource (we’re celebrating these resources throughout this week) that we co-produced with Bradford Culture Company's Cultural Learning Team.

Through stories of Italian and Syrian families, the pack explores:

🔸Why people move
🔸How migration has been happening for centuries
🔸How people bring their cultures, skills and traditions with them
🔸How migration has helped shape the Bradford (and UK!) we know today

And there’s more! At the end of the pack, you’ll find a handy guide to teaching about forced migration, created by us, with practical advice for having safe, respectful and empathetic conversations with young people (designed for ages 9–14).

Find the resource here: https://bradfordculture.co.uk/bradford-made/

14/09/2026

What makes a good neighbour? 🤔

Someone who lends you sugar?
Someone who takes your bins in?
Or… someone who shows up when it really matters? ❤️

This week, we’re shining a light on some of the brilliant learning resources developed for schools by the education team at Bradford Culture Company, exploring some of Bradford’s local histories. Several of them look at how migration has shaped our city, our communities and the society we live in today.

First up? 'Near Neighbours', telling the story of the friendship between The Sweet Centre Restaurant and The Bradford Synagogue in Manningham - two communities who looked out for one another, built trust and found ways to work together.

There is a huge amount of evidence that communities which have practiced mutual care and interdependence, where people trust and support one another when times get tough, do radically better overall. Sounds like a pretty good model for society to us!

So, if you fancy helping young people (the pack is designed for 10-16 year olds) explore what neighbourliness means and discover a brilliant bit of Bradford history, check out the pack! (https://bradfordculture.co.uk/bradford-made/)

PS: Bradford 2025 are offering free facilitated workshops for these packs to schools between now and February! So get in quick.

📩 Email [email protected] to find out more.

11/09/2026

Our wonderful team at Bradford City of Sanctuary 🧡

Bradford City of Sanctuary Away Day 2026! 🧡

We love getting the opportunity to get everyone together in one room - our staff, trustees, and advisory group. Without this incredible group of passionate, thoughtful and committed people, our work truly wouldn’t be possible.

We spent the day getting to know each other a little better, finding out that what we share (music, beliefs, love of food) and what makes us different (15 cups of tea a day is too many!). We reflected on how we’ve put the ideas from our last away day into action, our successes and challenges over the year, and thought of ideas to try in the year ahead.

We also enjoyed delicious Tunisian food from Cafe Delyssa and even made some time for arts and crafts. 🌹

We feel very privileged to be part of an organisation which prioritises kindness, courage, and justice, and to work with a group of people who embody these values. 🤝🧡🤝

03/09/2026

Don't forget to sign up for our annual one-hour online event if you're interested in finding out more about Schools of Sanctuary this year! 🧡

You'll learn about the background, goals and approach of City of Sanctuary UK and the Schools of Sanctuary programme and award scheme, as well as the support, resources and opportunities we offer to network members. The event will end with a Q&A.

Follow the link below to sign up 👇

Building a movement of welcome for people seeking sanctuary in the UK

02/09/2026

Welcome back to a new term!

I definitely felt those first-day-back nerves this morning as I dropped my own children at school. One was as keen as anything to run through the door (esp because it was ‘Roast of the Day’ on the dinner menu), but the other would definitely have preferred to stay at home.

Luckily, he bumped into his best friend on the walk up, and they ran happily into school together.

But for many of the children we work with in Bradford, their first day at school could be any day of the term.

Imagine starting at a new school when you’ve only been in the country for a few weeks and barely know the language.

Imagine not having friends to help you through the door in the morning.

Imagine having witnessed the unimaginable, having to uproot your life and then everything is suddenly unfamiliar, from the food you eat, to the way lessons are taught, to the rules and expectations of school.

We see families seeking sanctuary arriving in Bradford every week. And we also see schools stepping up to meet the challenges they face in creative, kind and wonderful ways. I mean, imagine arriving at school to meet the wonderful smiling faces of the children (at Atlas Community Primary School) who made welcome cards for you (see photo), and had even written hello in your own language!

Many of these schools are part of our Schools of Sanctuary network in Bradford, some already hold the School of Sanctuary Award and others are working towards it.

The School of Sanctuary Award recognises schools for their good practice in creating safe and inclusive environments, building understanding and empathy towards people seeking safety, and working collaboratively to strengthen the welcome offered to refugee children and families. This isn't just nice or fluffy stuff. Because we've seen the difference these practices can make to a young person: life-changing.

We’re proud to work with many schools across Bradford and we’re really looking forward to welcoming new schools into the network this academic year.

Thank you to teachers and all the staff making this stuff happen! Have a great start to the term everyone 🧡