Find out how to answer questions about school registration on the application form
3.4c. Will you commence the process of registering children in school as soon as you receive confirmation of the arrival date?
This is a tick box answer; whilst the formal registration of children into a school may not take place until arrival, you will need to ensure that there are school places available for them prior to their arrival.
3.4d. What steps you will take to start the school registration process? (200 words)
This question will require you to demonstrate your preparedness to welcome a family with school-aged children. At the time of writing your application, you will not know if the refugee family will even have children, let alone their ages, however, you will need give a brief overview of your knowledge of the school registration processes in your area. In order to obtain the correct information, you’ll need to contact schools in your area to enquire about their registration requirements. Groups also find it helpful to contact more than one school in order to give the parents the choice of where their children will be educated, however, this may not be possible if spaces are not widely available in the area.
When researching local school provision in your area, these questions will help guide you to understand the registration process and answer questions in this section:
- What is the registration process for new students?
- What documentation is needed to register a new student?
- Are there places available for new students at the school?
- Can new students register mid-school year?
- Has the school had experience in supporting refugee students?
- Is financial support available for those on low incomes for items such as school uniform, equipment, school meals or travel through a Pupil Premium?
- If you are a Community Sponsorship Group in Scotland, you will find that the education system will differ; read our advice on Education in Scotland
If you are applying for approval in principle, you may not know the exact area where the family will live and therefore cannot specify in which school their children will enrol. In this case, all you need to do is demonstrate that you are familiar with the school registration processes in the area. At this point in the process, you don’t know the ages of the children or even if the family will have school-aged children.
Find more resources related to this question and how other Groups have approached getting children adjusted to schools in our working with schools resource and our resource about helping families adjust to a new school system.