It is government policy that children from asylum seeking and refugee backgrounds are given the same opportunities as all other children to access education. You may be interested in our information on school applications, including mid-term applications and information for minority ethnic children and children with English as an additional language. You may also be eligible for free school meals and a school uniform grant.

In Essex there are a number of asylum seekers and refugees from other countries and many of these children are unaccompanied. They often arrive here speaking little or no English and begin school after the school year has started and friendships have been formed. It can be particularly difficult for these children to settle in at school, make friends, and catch up on what their classmates have already learned.

The Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) team, in collaboration with the Permanency Specialist team based in Harlow, provides help and support to these children and their parents or carers. We can help with advice and support materials, including bilingual dictionaries.

Unfortunately, children from other countries who do not have English as their first language can sometimes find that they are bullied at school. You may like to read our advice on bullying and how to deal with it. Please also see our information on how to deal with racist incidents.