This session is an exploration of Kathryn's insightful research about the experiences of Somali young people who were newly arrived to the UK as refugees.

Misrecognition of SEND for refugee pupils is an aspect of equity for learners, which is rarely documented but has profound, far-reaching significance for the children and young people concerned. In this presentation, Dr Kathryn Kashyap shares insights from her PhD study (funded by Economic and Social Research Council- ESRC) which looked at how a group of Black, Muslim, Somali young people, who had recently arrived in the UK as refugees negotiated a sense of themselves as “possible learners” (Youdell 2006) at home and at school.

The findings build on wide ranging research into “race”, gender, class, dis/ability and what it means to be a refugee learner in school.

Encapsulating this range of intersectionalities, Kathryn shows how, with effective communication between children and young people, their families, mainstream teachers and outside school support, we can create “possible spaces” to ensure that all our pupils succeed.

Dr Kathryn Kashyap’s Biography

Dr Kathryn Kashyap has over twenty years’ experience of teaching and supporting refugee and EAL learners in London. As Head of Ethnic Minority Achievement in a diverse inner London comprehensive, she pioneered partnership teaching and multilingual, inclusive practices for refugee pupils with disrupted education. She then led a highly successful volunteer learning mentor programme for refugee children and young people in inner London. This work involved substantial advocacy with families around SEND. Alongside this, she studied for her PhD. Kathryn then took up a role as a school improvement adviser for Achieving for Children, where she supports schools in Kingston and Richmond on three aspects of teaching and learning: multilingualism, racial justice and disadvantage.

Agenda

Agenda as follows:

● Brief check-in/best hopes for meeting participation.

● Main discussion: reflections on how a group of Black, Muslim, Somali young people, who had recently arrived in the UK as refugees negotiated a sense of themselves as “possible learners” at home and at school.

● Activities: Breakout room and whole group discussions.