Newly arrived migrant and refugee children in the British educational system

In 2009, Action for Social Integration was commissioned by London Councils to implement a four-year programme to improve the educational attainment for African and Caribbean children and young people in Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. Within this programme, the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at Middlesex University has carried out a small-scale research project aimed at producing a guide for BME and migrant parents of children attending UK schools. The guide provides information to better understand the UK educational system, highlighting what may be different from those of other countries in the world and discussing issues such as language support and parents’ involvement. In order to identify the knowledge gaps and the main issues to include in the guide, the research team conducted a series of interviews, as well as an analysis and mapping of existing demographic data. The research findings presented in this report contribute to a better
understanding of the key challenges and opportunities facing BME parents and their children in London schools.