Ethnic Minority Achievement Service

All Islington schools experience pupil mobility. Many schools experience a significant number of pupils arriving or leaving outside normal times throughout the year.

High rates of mobility can make heavy demands on staff, and may sometimes affect provision for other pupils also. Pupil mobility has implications for many policy areas, for example tackling underachievement, target-setting, league tables and school funding.

Whilst some pupils may be moving schools for positive reasons, for example with the impact of regeneration strategies, many mobile pupils are from challenging circumstances. These can include experiencing homelessness and social deprivation, family separation or seeking asylum. Many new arrivals from overseas are learning English for the first time.

However, it is also the experience of Islington schools that mobile pupils are often highly motivated and can experience tremendous success. They contribute to school life and enrich the lives of everybody in the borough.

It is hoped that the contents of this website can further help schools plan for the inclusion of mobile pupils so all pupils can benefit from their presence.

The guidance that follows highlights key issues, provides some good practice points, useful websites and further reading. To help schools further develop their work, case studies of practice in some Islington schools are also provided, together with downloadable resources.

School policy
School self-evaluation
Induction procedures
Supporting new arrivals
Year 11 new arrivals

These pages were first written as a "starter pack". Schools have since added more case studies and it is hoped further good practice will be documented in the future.

CEA@Islington Ethnic Minority Achievement Service would like to thank the headteachers, staff and children of Islington schools, in particular those who have agreed to share their practice as case studies for this guidance. Thank you also to CEA@Islington's School Admissions Team and the Quality and Performance Management Unit. This project would not have been possible without the support of the North Islington Zone and their New Arrivals Schools' Network.

Some definitions

Pupil mobility is "the total movement in and out of schools by pupils other than at the usual times of joining or leaving" as defined in Ofsted’s 2002 report Managing Pupil Mobility.

Additional admissions are pupils who are admitted other than at the usual times of joining. New arrivals and joiners are also used to mean additional admissions, according to context.

Parents refers to those with legal guardianship, including carers.

Useful websites for schools

QCA pathways to learning for new arrivals
The QCA pathways to learning for new arrivals website helps mainstream teachers respond to the needs of children newly arrived from overseas. It provides background information on migration, countries of origin and childrens rights and entitlements, guidance for schools and teachers on promoting the educational achievement of newly arrived pupils and case studies of good practice.

Home Office/DfES Refugee Integration: Good Practice in Educational Settings

This website provides extensive information, guidance and examples of good practice to support the integration of refugee children in schools. It should be of interest to all professionals working in schools.

NALDIC ITTSEAL
NALDIC (the professional association for EAL) and Teacher Training Agency project to improve initial teacher education regarding EAL learning and teaching. An extensive site including very useful guidance for beginner teachers on strategies for teaching EAL learners and refugee and asylum seeker pupils.

Further reading

Bolloten, B. (Ed.) (2004) Home from Home: a guidance and resource pack for the welcome and inclusion of refugee children and families in school London: Salusbury WORLD/Save the Children
This comprehensive guidance for the primary classroom and whole-school practice is packed full of ideas and photo-copiable resources for supporting refugee pupils and their families. Good practice for the inclusion of all mobile pupils.

Dobson, J.M. et al. (2000) Pupil Mobility in Schools: Final Report. London: Migration Research Unit, University College London
Building on research the authors undertook for the Migration Research Unit and the DfES, this influential report provides the first detailed national overview of pupil mobility and explores its implications at school and LEA level.

Managing Pupil Mobility: Guidance (DfES, 2003)
Comprehensive DfES guidance for secondary schools on managing pupil mobility.

Homelessness – leading publications and information http://www.homelesspages.org.uk/

Rutter, J. (2003 ) Supporting Refugee Children in 21 st Century Britain - a compendium of essential information. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books.