School of Sanctuary

St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, was delighted to be awarded the Schools of Sanctuary Award in October 2022. The award was proudly received in recognition of the schools’ work and ongoing commitment to welcoming and supporting families arriving in Newcastle who are seeking refuge from violence and persecution.

Two students, Gabrielle Slater and Rafa Musgrove, attended an awards ceremony held at the Great North Museum to receive this important accolade. Rafa, who contributed to the application process, explained: “We are a loving, kind school and a community of friends. We like to welcome people especially those who need help. We stand up for people and help during tough times.”

Colleen Cummings, who accompanied the children to the awards ceremony said: “We pride ourselves on being a welcoming, loving and inclusive school and we are thrilled that our efforts are making a difference to the lives of children and families who are seeking refuge in Newcastle”.

She added: “We support children and families who have arrived in Newcastle and attend our school but also work collaboratively with Vinnie’s, next to St. Dominic’s, in order to extend our support to more people. This award recognises our role in contributing to Newcastle’s City of Sanctuary vision”.

The Student Council and Mini Vinnie team at St. Catherine’s played a pivotal role in contributing to the Schools of Sanctuary application process, ensuring that student voice was a central component and that the ideas of students were a driving force in our work. They also planned for Refugee Week activities in 2022 and are gearing up to do the same again this year with lots of ideas to support families seeking refuge and to raise awareness of why this work is so important.

For any other schools interested in becoming a Schools of Sanctuary, please contact Sarah Edgar sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk