Transitions

The first phase of transition occurs after arrival at the English language school (ELS). Good transitions here are crucial to supporting newly arrived children and families beginning their recovery through settlement in Australia.

Newly arrived children and young people typically undertake 6–12 months of intensive study at an ELS before attending a mainstream school. They are required to enrol within six months of arrival (or 18 months for Prep Foundation year learners).

Students are placed in small classes and follow a curriculum designed for EAL learners. This is a time of preparation for moving ahead to a mainstream school, and is marked by significant transition moments such as enrolment and orientation to the new school.

Things to consider

• It is important for you to know about children’s schooling and language transitions before they arrived in Australia.
• A young person may have multiple languages spoken but academic proficiency in none.
• When a student exhibits learning and behavioural difficulties you should initially interpret this through a trauma lens.
• Some students may be unfamiliar with class rules/structures including the need to pay attention, follow instructions, complete assessments, printed materials and computers.
• The influence of potential health problems should not be overlooked when assessing children’s learning ability. The Refugee Health Practice Guide includes information about the health needs of children of refugee backgrounds.

The second phase of transition occurs at the new mainstream school. Although this phase cannot be rigidly set in time, the first days and weeks in the new educational setting is a critical period for students and families, and for the school to welcome and include their new members.

What you can do

• Partner with the feeder ELS to establish a transition (or bridging) program, which provides support for students transitioning into your school community.
• Ensure ELS prepared ‘exit reports’ for transitioning students are made available to teachers in the new mainstream school.
• After three months post-transition, liaise with the ELS transition officer to follow up on student’s transition experience and progress.
• Ensure Multicultural Education Aides (MEAs) are available to assist students and families to understand the school and what is expected of them.
• Provide school administrative staff with Foundation House professional learning on supporting newly arrived students and families of refugee backgrounds and using interpreters .
• Organise and invite parents and carers to information sessions around supporting learning at home.

The third phase of transition occurs at the mainstream school. The length of this final phase of transition is determined by the individual student as they navigate their school environment and find their place in the school community.

What you can do

• Partner with services and agencies to increase opportunities for students to connect with their local community and access supports.
• Provide school staff with Foundation House professional learning on supporting students and families of refugee backgrounds.
• Organise and invite parents and carers to information sessions around supporting learning at home.
• Employ a transition coordinator to ensure a coordinated approach to transition and provide students and families with an advocate for ongoing support. Some schools provide a time allocation to their EAL or student wellbeing/welfare coordinator (SWC) to fulfil this role.
• Initiate an EAL Policy, and the inclusion of EAL in your school strategic plan and annual implementation plans.
• Be aware that students may have high educational aspirations but adult responsibilities at home.

Orientation programs allow students and parents/carers to familiarise themselves with the school. As one parent said, ‘I found it helpful to attend the orientation program and meet other people. Those relationships are continuing throughout the school years.’

What you can do

• Offer school tours, including classroom observation.
• Introduce principal and classroom teachers.
• Provide practical details (e.g. school schedules, expectations, uniforms, fees, etc.).
• Give an overview of classroom activities, and advice on supporting children’s at-home learning.
• Provide information about school programs (e.g. homework clubs).
• Give information about healthy eating, including culturally appropriate lunch box food.

You can ensure adequate supports are in place by identifying students and families of refugee backgrounds at enrolment including those seeking asylum. Try to collect basic information about the family without asking unnecessary and intrusive questions.

There are simple indicators that a student may be of refugee background:

• Country of birth (for students, parents and carers)
• Exit reports and communication with the previous school
• Year of arrival in Australia
• Preferred language
• Visa subclass (permanent visa humanitarian entrant: 200, 202, 204, 866; and asylum seekers with temporary visa: 785, 790)

Things to consider

• Families who have come to Australia under another migration program may also have refugee backgrounds (e.g. skilled migrants from Iran).
• People who have been in Australia for some time may not want to identify themselves as refugees or want to present visa number details.
• If the country of origin is one that has a history of conflict and human rights violations, for example Afghanistan or Myanmar, the student is likely to be of refugee background.
• Students may have been born in another country (e.g. in Kenya, Pakistan, Egypt, Thailand or Malaysia), which can suggest a refugee background.

1. When parents/carers organise an enrolment appointment with the school, inform them of the documents to bring to the interview. It helps to provide a handout with visual prompts and language identification charts.
2. Decide if an interpreter is required to assist parents/carers in the enrolment process.
3. Office staff inform relevant school leadership who organise the appointment time.
4. At the appointment, the staff member finds out:
   • student’s birthplace and how long they have been in Australia
   • if the family lived in other countries on the way to Australia (can mean time spent in a refugee camp)
   • passport numbers and visa codes
   • students’ educational histories
   • if parents/carers are comfortable to discuss, other information about refugee experiences.
5. School leadership sets appropriate enrolment day (or recommends student to an ELS).
6. Parents/carers and staff complete enrolment forms, families are linked with appropriate agencies (if needed).
7. School discusses students’ classroom placements.
8. Classroom teacher informed and given background material.
9. EAL program initiated.
10. Parents/carers and students meet with classroom teachers to discuss needs, and further meetings are timetabled.

• Ensure staff members who conduct enrolments are familiar with how the refugee experience impacts upon students and their families.
• Make arrangements for interpreters, and involve school wellbeing coordinators and EAL coordinators.
• Standardise enrolment questions to unobtrusively gain relevant information from students. Example questions:
  • How many schools have you attended?
  • How old were you when you started school?
  • Have you attended school in other countries?
  • How many hours per day did you go to school?
  • Have there been times when you didn’t go?
  • What subjects have you learnt?
  • What language/s did you learn in?

Tip: It is important that students’ enrolment information, particularly sociolinguistic and education profiles, is accessible not only to teachers, but also coordinators, MEAs, SWCs, school guidance officers and psychologists.