Supporting Newcomer Children and their Families



Hilary Cunningham, the Principal of Fane Street Primary School tells how they support the school community



Key Messages

  • Having a large number of newcomer children enrolled often means that there is a high pupil turnover.

  • Educational and academic challenges have to be addressed creatively to support all pupils.

  • Think about putting the children in tiers such as children who are “New to English”. Have a staged support to address the wide range of needs.

  • Allow the Newcomer Co-ordinator specific time to meet with new families enrolling in the school.

  • Consider Trauma Training for staff.

  • Consider Play Therapy with a qualified counsellor.







Hilary's Tips

  1. Look at personnel both inside and outside of the school who can support pupils and families. Think of creative ways in which to fund support for the whole family.

  2. Think about how timetables can be adjusted to support the varying degrees of need in the pupils and also allow for pupils to have an identity within a year group and class.

  3. Support parents in language development so that they can improve their life opportunities and also support their children educationally.

  4. Addressing health and wellbeing issues through the school may be seen as a less intimidating way for families to gain help.



To Recap


  1. What measures has your school in place to support newcomer children educationally and socially?

  2. What agencies are you engaging with?

  3. How are you supporting families?