Promoting the inclusion of migrant children in a UK school

Abstract

The expansion of the European Union has led to many Eastern European families migrating to the UK, which in turn has placed increasing pressures on schools to foster the inclusion of migrant children. This paper details research carried out with pupils from Slovakia and staff in an English primary school, which had seen a significant rise in the number of Slovakian pupils attending. Using an action research design, information about issues surrounding the inclusion of Slovakian pupils was gathered through the collaborative reflection of nine staff and the use of visual methods with five Slovakian children. Staff used the information gathered to devise actions that could promote inclusion. Thematic analysis of the children’s experiences indicated that they valued coming to school but experienced vulnerability. Data from staff indicated that both their perceptions of Slovakian culture and their self-efficacy towards promoting inclusion changed across the research. Findings raised implications for school staff and Educational Psychologists working in diverse communities and highlighted the value of action research in such contexts.