Information for Refugees and Migrants

You can download this section as a pdf for printing if you need to.

This section is about: 

• The school ("education") system for children in the UK 
• Education and learning ("training") opportunities for adult asylum seekers and refugees 
• Learning English for speakers of other languages

The Directgov website has further information regarding schools, learning and development .

Children's Education 

Parents / carers have a legal duty to ensure that their children aged between 5 and 16 are receiving an education appropriate to their age and any special needs (Section 7 of the Education Act 1996). This could be in a state school, a private school or (with the agreement of the local authority) at home.

The School Terms and Holidays

The academic year runs from September to July in the UK. It is divided into three terms:

• Autumn
• Spring
• Summer

Schools are closed for:

• 2 weeks over Christmas (the end of December)
• 2 weeks over Easter (usually in April)
• 1 week in the middle of each term (known as half-term)
• 5 weeks for the summer holiday from the last week of July to the first week of September.

Manchester City Council has a list of the school terms.

Children who have arrived new from overseas will be able to start school during any term. However, there may be a wait of a few weeks, especially if there are no places available in your first school of choice.

State schools provide free education for children under the age of 18 who are resident in Manchester (asylum seekers, refugees and students/migrant workers with visas for at least 6 months). However, parents may also choose a private school if they are able to pay a fee.

Getting a School Place

Manchester schools website has information about schools in the city.  If you have a child aged between 5 and 16 who needs a school place, contact the Admissions Service on  0161 274 7070 or 0161 274 7071 or email school.admissions@manchester.gov.uk.They should be able to tell you which schools have places and will send you an application form and information about how to apply. 

The year group your child is placed in is determined by his or her age, not by ability. It is not the normal practice of English schools to keep children in a particular class until they have passed the year - children move on to the next class with other children of their age.

If you are new to the English language, the Routes Team on 0161 835 3393 will be able to help you with your application.

It is illegal for a school to refuse children a place because they are new to the English language, because of their ethnic or national origin or because they have a special need.

If a place is available at your first choice school when you apply, your child should be accepted and be able to start very soon.  However, there are limits on the numbers of children allowed in each class/school and if the class/school is full, they will not be able to offer a place.

You do have the right to appeal.  However, this can take a long time and there is no guarantee that your child will be offered a place at the end of the process.  You can keep your child on the waiting list, but should also try to get your child a place at another school, so he/she can begin their education as soon as possible. 

If another child leaves and a place becomes available at your first choice of school, you will be informed and your child can transfer there.  However, it is not usually in the best interest of children to change schools once they are settled and you would need to consider very carefully before disrupting them.  

If you find it difficult to get your child into a school, phone the In Year Fair Access Officers in Children's Services on 0161 805 2944, the International New Arrivals, Travellers & Supplementary Schools Team 0161 223 3158, (email j.patterson@manchester.gov.uk) or the Routes Team on 0161 835 3393.

Pre-School Education (0-5 Years Old)

Children under 5 can attend playgroups, creches, nurseries and Children's Centres or be looked after by a childminder. All primary schools in Manchester have some free nursery places for children aged 3 and 4. It is very helpful for children new from overseas to go to nursery as they learn English and meet other children. There may be a waiting list for free places, so it is important to register as soon as possible.

Some colleges, universities and workplaces have crèches to look after the children of students whilst they attend classes or work. Ask them for more information.

It is also possible to place your child in a private nursery - you have to pay for this. However, if you are working (or if you are eligible to work and want to start working) you might be able to claim tax credits to meet some of the costs. To find out if you can get tax credits ask at your local advice centre. Section 4 - Getting Advice has contact details

To find out more about the services for under 5's you can contact the Children's Information Service (phone free on 0800 083 7921) or go to your local Children's Centre.          

Primary School (5-11 Years Old)

Children must go to primary school when they are 5 years old, but you have to fill in an application form for the schools you want by December the year before they are due to start. To find out more about how to apply for a place at a primary school, look at  Primary School Admissions web pages. 

If you need help, please phone the Choice Advisers on 0800 083 7921, or the International New Arrivals, Travellers & Supplementary Schools Team on 0161 223 3158, (email j.patterson@manchester.gov.uk)or the Routes Team on 0161 835 3393.

Children attending a nursery attached to a school do not automatically receive a place in that school's reception class when they are 5 years old.  However, nursery staff should be able to give information and may be able to help parents/carers to complete the application form.

Primary schools teach boys and girls together. Children go into a class according to their age, not their previous learning.  There are some special schools for children with severe learning or behavioural difficulties.

Secondary School (11-16 Years Old)

Children must go to secondary school when they are 11 years old, but you have to fill in an application form for the schools you want by October the year before they are due to start. To find out more about how to apply for a place at a secondary school, look at the Secondary School Admissions pages on the Manchester City Council website.

If you need help, contact the Choice Advisers on 0800 083 7921, or the International New Arrivals, Travellers & Supplementary Schools Team on 0161 223 3158, (email j.patterson@manchester.gov.uk) or the Routes Team on 0161 835 3393. If your child is in the last year of Primary School (aged 10), their class teacher should be able to give you information and may be able to help complete the application form.

There are a range of secondary schools which provide free education in Manchester, including those which teach boys and girls together, those which teach girls only or boys only, those run by the Church of England or the Catholic Church and special schools for children with learning or behavioural difficulties.  Additionally, there are some Grammar schools, which choose children of higher ability based on tests and some private schools which charge fees.

Before leaving secondary school at 16, children take national examinations called GCSEs and/or NVQs in a number of subjects.  Please look at the DCSF and QCA websites for more information about courses and qualifications.

Education Related Costs 

A school place is free in state schools.  However parents/carers will be asked to pay for a uniform, PE (Physical Education or Gym) kit, equipment for example pencils, pens, calculators, and meals at lunchtime and for school trips.

A small uniform grant from the council may be available for some pupils in Years 7 and 11.  Ask the school office if you would like more information about this.

Your child may be entitled to free school meals (if you are receiving benefits or if you are an asylum seeker). You will need to provide proof of your income and/or asylum status at least once a year.  Ask the school office for information and help in completing any forms.

If there is a charge for a school trip and you are not able to afford it, talk to the teacher organising it and the school should be able to help you.

Curriculum and Exams/Tests

The School Programme (Curriculum)

All state schools follow The National Curriculum which sets out what children should be taught each year in a number of different subjects.

The school will give you more information about the subjects studied at your child's admission meeting and will discuss your child's abilities and educational background to ensure that the child is placed in appropriate classes. 

All pupils aged 13 and above are entitled to a Connexions adviser who will help with choosing exam subjects (options), give information about studying from the age of 16 and careers advice.  The Connexions adviser is usually allocated by the school, but young people can also visit their local Connexions office.  This is very useful for young people who are new from overseas who may be waiting for a school place. 

Exams/Tests

Children are tested regularly and assessed against the national standards.  They are expected to reach:-

• Level 2 at age 7 
• Level 4 at age 10 
• To gain 5 x GCSEs with grades A* - C at age 16.

Parents' Evenings

You will receive written reports and also be invited to regular parents' evenings at the school when you can talk to your child's teacher about your child's progress.

Children make better progress when there is a close partnership between parents and school.  You should try to attend meetings and know about what your child is doing in school so that you can support them at home. If you have the time, schools often have the opportunity for parents to volunteer or support with particular events which will help you to understand even better what is happening for your child in school.

If your child is at primary school and you have any quick questions you may be able to talk to their teacher, a home/school liaison officer or the head teacher when you collect your child at the end of the day.  However, if they are busy, you will need to make an appointment.  If your child is at secondary school, you will normally need to make an appointment with their form tutor or Head of Year.  It is important that you find out who is the best person to contact if you have any worries about your child when you are at the admission meeting.  

Extra support in School

Your Child Settling into School

Schools in Manchester are experienced in teaching children from a wide range of backgrounds, of all abilities and with a wide range of needs.  Many have experience of teaching children from other countries and cultures.  Class teachers should be able to make the curriculum accessible to your child.  Schools will often have staff with responsibility for Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA), who help teachers to appropriately support children who speak other languages or who are from minority ethnic groups.  Talk to the head teacher or your child's class teacher to find out more about the support which your child could receive.

Your Child Making Friends

Many children have problems at some time during their school life.  It can be especially difficult for children who are new to school, particularly if they are new to the country and to the English language. Sometimes children find it difficult to make friends.

If you feel your child is unhappy or having problems, speak to your child's teacher or make an appointment to see the head teacher or other staff. If you suspect that your child is being bullied or suffering racist insults you should take this very seriously and contact the school. They will be very concerned if there are problems amongst the pupils. They need to know as soon as anything happens so that they can sort it out. All schools have a legal responsibility to comply with the Race Relations Act and will have policies to promote race equality and against bullying.

Many schools have identified staff with responsibility for the pastoral care of children. These may be learning mentors, teaching assistants or Heads of Year (in secondary schools).  Promoting the wellbeing of children is important for schools, just as promoting educational achievement is.

Special Educational Needs - Learning or Behavioural Needs

The special educational needs of the majority of children should be met effectively within mainstream school settings.  When a child is identified as having special educational needs, the teacher should provide interventions that are different to and/or are additional to the usual curriculum.  The Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) will be responsible for ensuring that this happens and for monitoring progress.  These interventions are known as School Action and School Action Plus and get additional help from specialist services such as Educational Psychology.

In some cases, these interventions are not sufficient to support the special education needs of the child and in these cases the school should request a statutory assessment from the Special Education Needs (SEN) Casework Service.  If the family are new from overseas and no school place has yet been allocated phone 0161 223 3158, (email j.patterson@manchester.gov.uk) who will help the parent/carer to make the request.

Should the Council agree to statutory assessment, a statement of SEN is usually issued.  In cases where a statement is not required, the Local Authority issues a 'note in lieu' to the school detailing what support they should provide from within school resources to support the identified needs.

The Statement of Special Educational Needs.

This is a document which says what the child's needs are, the services to be provided to meet those needs, who must provide the services and which school the child should attend (which may be specialist support school).  It will also include a level of funding the school will receive to enable them to meet the needs of the child. 

Statements are reviewed annually.  If you are new to English or need help in understanding the systems the Parent Partnership website  has further information. Phone on 0161 953 2713 and they can give you information and support. The Special Education Needs websitehas further information.

How Schools are Managed

All schools have a board of governors including parent representatives.  If you have a worry about systems or policies in the school, you can ask a parent representative to raise it at a governors' meeting.  You can get their names from the school office.

Education after 16 Years of Age

Young people continue to study for free until they are 19 years old.  They need to apply for places and can get information and help from Connexions website.

Between 16 and 18, children can study for AS and A Level examinations, which are usually needed to get a place at university. They could also study NVQs, which are more related to particular jobs. Some secondary schools have sixth forms, which take students until they are 18. Other young people go to Further Education colleges to study for these examinations.

Education and Training for Young Adults (aged 16-25)

There are a number of organisations working with young refugees and people new to Manchester. They often give advice and support about education and training.

Refugee and Migrants Forum Directory has information about groups working with young people.

Connexions also help young adults to find educational or work opportunities.

Supplementary Schools

Many refugee and other community organisations run supplementary schools, usually on Saturdays or in the evenings, at which children can learn their mother tongue and about their heritage and also receive help with homework. To find out more, have a look at Supplementary schools information on the Manchester City Council website.

After School Clubs

Many schools run activities after school, including sports, arts and cultural activities and homework clubs.  Ask the head teacher for what is available.

Study Support

Many schools run study support sessions at lunchtimes, or after school, to help pupils with coursework.  There are also sessions in many local libraries.  Libraries are good places for pupils to go and study, with access to the Internet as well as books, especially for pupils who may not have a quiet place to study at home.

School Attendance Improvement Service (SAIS)

Poor school attendance over a long period of time nearly always leads to educational failure.  You will receive visits from SAIS officers if your child misses school and you may be prosecuted if attendance does not improve.

People wishing to report children who are missing Education can call the Free Phone Attendance Careline on 0808 1000 840.

Work Permits

Work permits are needed when any young person aged between 13 and 16 takes on a job for example, a paper round or helping in a family business.  There are limits on the number of hours and the times of day when young people are allowed to work.  

The permit is free of charge but is a legal requirement. The employer is responsible for applying for a permit, but young people can take the initiative and get their own work permit and take it to a prospective employer.  Phone the Juvenile Employment Officers for more information on 0161 684 1908.  Please look at the Manchester City Council website for further information.

Adult Education and Training

There are lots of free education and training courses for adults. Some other courses only charge a small fee or are free if you are claiming welfare benefits. Other courses can be expensive. There are two different sets of fees for Home students (cheaper) and for Overseas students (more expensive). The length of time you have lived in the UK (or Europe ) is the main determinant of whether you pay home or overseas fees.

Colleges, universities and community groups arrange different courses. Other training courses can be found through the JobCentre Plus. There are part-time and full-time courses so you may be able to study from as little as 2 hours a week to as much as 35 hours a week.

You will need qualifications (often known as entry requirements) before you can take some courses. Other courses are open to anyone.

As most courses start in September, people arriving later in the academic year may have to wait until the following September to begin a course.

There are many different courses you can take, for example:

• Access courses (to help people without formal or recognised qualifications to enter higher education)
• Adult literacy and numeracy (understanding words and numbers)
• University diplomas, certificates or degrees (full or part-time study)
• Vocational training (preparing for a job or learning while you are in the job)

Many people also attend adult education courses to learn a new skill or hobby and there are classes in a whole range of subjects from Art to Zoology!

If you are interested in adult education, go to your local library and ask for the prospectuses of local colleges. Alternatively you can go to your local college and ask to speak to a student advisor. Look at your nearest library for further information. A list of colleges and other learning centres is available at the Manchester City Council website.

Vocational Training Courses (Preparing for a Job)

Community organisations and colleges run courses to train people in job skills that are useful in finding employment. Some courses are especially for refugees and may cover computing, interpreting, how to look for a job and how to do well at an interview.

The main types of qualification are:

• National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ's)
• City and Guilds certificates (C&G)
• Open College Network certificates (OCN)

These courses are offered by the larger colleges in Manchester or through the JobCentre Plus. However, many smaller organisations also run vocational courses.

University Degrees (Higher Education)

• The term higher education usually refers to university-level studies.
• To enter university, you will need minimum educational qualifications, for example UK GCSEs, 'A' levels or an Access course certificate.
• University courses are usually open only to those who have leave to remain in the UK although it is worth enquiring directly to the university to see if you are eligible. Recently some universities have started to enrol asylum seekers.
• University courses can be very expensive.
• Sometimes the university can make local arrangements or support you to apply for funding if you cannot afford the fees.
• You can find out more about training for refugees from Education Action's Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service (RETAS).

Using Qualifications and Study Gained in Your Home Country

• When starting a course in the UK it is often possible to get credit for previous learning gained in this country or in other countries
• These are called Accreditations for Prior Learning (APEL)
• There are APEL courses for refugees to help assess previous learning experience
• Contact the university or college directly for information about APEL schemes. 

The RETAS website has further information. Greater Manchester has a number of Universities you can contact.

You may be able to convert your qualifications from overseas into UK qualifications. National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) is an organisation that can help you with this.

Education and Training for Women Refugees

Refugee women looking for single sex classes and female teachers may not find many courses in the larger colleges. However, community organisations and voluntary groups do sometimes provide these opportunities for women.

General information on educational opportunities for female refugees can be obtained from RETAS.

English Language Classes for Adults (ESOL)

• Classes for second language speakers are usually called ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).
• There are special courses combining English language with IT, job seeking and foundation courses for further education.
• Some classes are for women students only.
• You can study for an English language qualification leading to a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) or the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) qualification, which is needed for entry to some university courses.
• There are many English language classes that refugees can join but you may have to wait before beginning classes.
• ESOL courses are only free for refugees on welfare benefits and asylum seekers who have been waiting for a decision for more than 6 months.

English language classes run by Manchester Adult Education Service  (MAES), The Manchester Collegeand LearnDirectas well as those run by community organisations are usually free for refugees and asylum seekers and for nationals of other European countries.

Your college may be able to help with bus or train fares and childcare - ask to see a student advisor at the college.

ESOL provision at MAES 2009/2010

ESOL provision will be offered at the following sites from September 2009:

Abraham Moss
Cheetham Hill
Victoria Mill
Miles Platting
Sacred Heart Sure Start Centre
Gorton
Hulme
Greenheys
Moss Side
Plymouth Grove
Longsight
Northmoor Community Centre
Levenshulme
Withington
Chorlton Park
Forum Learning.

The ESOL programmes provided are Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3 and Level 1.

Full time and part time classes are available at Abraham Moss, Greenheys and Plymouth Grove and Part time at most other centres. Evening programmes are offered at Abraham Moss, Greenheys and Forum Learning.

All the programmes prepare learners to take Trinity ESOL Skills for Life qualifications.

Learners will also have access to preparing and achieving additional qualifications in ICT, Numeracy, Personal Development, Employability, Introduction to Childcare and Community Interpreting etc, depending on their needs.

ESOL provision at The Manchester College for the academic year 2009/2010

ESOL provision will be offered at the following Manchester Colleges sites from September 2009: 

Nicholls
Openshaw
St John's (City Centre)
Shena Simon
Windrush (Moss Side)
Moston
Abraham Moss
Northenden

Please note: not all programmes (full-time and part-time) will be offered at all the locations.

The provision offered will depend on demand and learners are advised to contact any of the sites above for further information.

Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2 are full time courses.

Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2 are part-time courses.

All the programmes prepare learners and lead to a nationally recognized accredited qualification (Skills for Life, full award, at the appropriate level).

Learners also have access to preparing and achieving additional qualifications in ICT, Numeracy, Personal Development and Employability, depending on their needs. 

The main focus of all the programmes is integration and progression to either further study or employment. For this purposes, all the programmes develop a range of other skills alongside the language skills (ICT, personal/social and employability skills, and citizenship).

The Manchester College also offers language support (Language Links to Learning) for learners enrolled in other programmes within the College and who have been identified as having language needs. This promotes early progression to mainstream academic or vocational programmes as language skills will continue to be developed and supported alongside. These "Language Links to Learning" programmes also lead to a nationally recognised qualification in ESOL Skills for Life.