The Healing Classrooms programme aims to support schools and educators to develop inclusive and nurturing learning spaces where refugee and asylum-seeking students can gain the necessary academic, social and emotional skills to develop their full potential.
We offer free training sessions and resources to educators and schools supporting refugee and asylum-seeking students in the UK.
Crisis and conflict have direct and profound effects on children’s physical safety, well-being and ability to learn. Neuroscience has shown that children who experience the types of adversity common in crisis settings can have a physiological “toxic stress” response that inhibits their brain development, impacting their physical and mental health, cognition, behaviour and relationships. But this can be reversed. Children are remarkably resilient. When provided with the right support, such as safe, quality educational opportunities, the negative effects of hardship and stress are mitigated and children can heal, grow, learn and thrive.
The IRC’s Healing Classrooms approach—built on 40 years of education in emergencies experience and a decade of research and field testing—offers children a safe and predictable place to learn and cope with the consequences of conflict and displacement.
All of our training series are based on the Healing Classrooms principles and provide practical guidance and resources on how to apply them to the everyday school context.
The Healing Classrooms programme was launched in the UK in May 2022.
Our educator training sessions focus on how to provide safe and supportive learning environments for refugees and asylum-seeking children alongside practical advice and resources on areas such as trauma-informed pedagogy, social-emotional learning (SEL), English as an Additional Language (EAL), and mindfulness.
The IRC also provides access to an online resource bank for teaching and teacher development. In there, you can find comprehensive country briefings to assist schools to develop a greater understanding of the culture and the education system of students arriving from Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Get involved
Follow the links below to find out more about how to sign onto our next free training sessions.
Resources
Click on the links below to download free Healing Classrooms resources:
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Lesson Plan Bank
- Being a Buddy Student Booklet
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Games Bank
- Being a Buddy: Application Form
- Teacher Briefing: Ukraine
- Being a Buddy Training Slides
- Teacher Briefing: Afghanistan
- Guidance on Initial Meet-Up with Caregivers
- Educator Wellbeing Guide
- School Orientation Student Booklet (Secondary Edition)
- Toxic Stress and Brain Development Poster
- Mindfulness Moments Cards
- School Celebrations Survey for Parents
- Personal Dictionary for Students
- Welcoming New Arrivals - Educational Toolkit
- Hongkongers in Britain report
- My New School Booklet- Induction and Orientation for Primary Aged Children (Editable Resource for Teachers)
- At Home Together Tasks
- Healing Classrooms Evaluation
- Mindfully Managing New Year's Eve Fireworks
Healing Classrooms in the media
See Healing Classrooms in the media by clicking the links below:
- Refugee kids have been through things we can’t imagine, teachers need more than gestures to help them
- Vicky meets Louise Watson to discuss the Healing Classrooms Conference in Chichester
- Celebrating artwork of refugee children in our city
- Supporting refugee children in UK schools
- Headteacher who helped young Ukrainian refugees to be honoured at Windsor Castle
- IRC’s Healing Classrooms: supporting refugee and asylum-seeking pupils
Our Impact
2,100+
Educators have completed our Healing Classrooms sessions since May 2022
We currently offer Healing Classrooms Basics Training, Healing Classrooms CPD course and Healing Classrooms Champions.
800+
Schools and organisations reached across England.
We have delivered our training to schools, community organisations, and local councils all over the country.
11,000+
Refugee students have been indirectly supported by the Healing Classrooms programme.
By training educators, we’re helping to ensure refugee students can learn and thrive in safe and healing learning spaces.
Meet the Team
Our Partners
Any questions?
If you have any questions regarding the programme or you would like to have a bespoke training session to your school/organisation, please contact the email below