Beginning School Well

The Beginning School Well (BSW) program is an early intervention program for refugee children and their families prior to their entry to school. Since 2009 approximately 50 schools have participated. The program addresses the... [ view full abstract ]

The Beginning School Well (BSW) program is an early intervention program for refugee children and their families prior to their entry to school. Since 2009 approximately 50 schools have participated.

The program addresses the extreme stress and multiple traumas that many refugee families experience in their country of origin. It is based on research that shows children who make a good start to school are more likely to participate actively in their education and achieve better lifelong outcomes.

The program is a community based intervention targeting prior to school age refugee children and their families. It is based on the establishment of a supported playgroup providing play based sessions in a welcoming environment facilitated by a trained coordinator. The families are supported by a local mentor who speaks the family’s home language and understands the complex needs of refugee families.
The program aims to:
• develop positive relationships between refugee children and their families, mentors, and teachers
• enhance feelings of confidence and trust for refugee children entering school
• ensure refugee children and parents feel safe, welcome and valued members of the community
• assist refugee children to develop positive social skills, attendance patterns and dispositions for learning
• increase capacity of schools to support refugee families and their children.

The program has demonstrated strengthened confidence and resilience of refugee families and a sense of belonging to their community. This has been achieved through mentoring which improves the refugee trauma related issues as measured by the parent and teacher surveys collated pre and post intervention.

More positive settlement outcomes have been measured by the attendance of refugee parents at the playgroup and school transition programs and through case studies. Schools have identified and reported on targets based on the aims of the program in their Management Plans.The Beginning School Well (BSW) program is an early intervention program for refugee children and their families prior to their entry to school. Since 2009 approximately 50 schools have participated.

The program addresses the extreme stress and multiple traumas that many refugee families experience in their country of origin. It is based on research that shows children who make a good start to school are more likely to participate actively in their education and achieve better lifelong outcomes.

The program is a community based intervention targeting prior to school age refugee children and their families. It is based on the establishment of a supported playgroup providing play based sessions in a welcoming environment facilitated by a trained coordinator. The families are supported by a local mentor who speaks the family’s home language and understands the complex needs of refugee families.
The program aims to:
• develop positive relationships between refugee children and their families, mentors, and teachers
• enhance feelings of confidence and trust for refugee children entering school
• ensure refugee children and parents feel safe, welcome and valued members of the community
• assist refugee children to develop positive social skills, attendance patterns and dispositions for learning
• increase capacity of schools to support refugee families and their children.

The program has demonstrated strengthened confidence and resilience of refugee families and a sense of belonging to their community. This has been achieved through mentoring which improves the refugee trauma related issues as measured by the parent and teacher surveys collated pre and post intervention.

More positive settlement outcomes have been measured by the attendance of refugee parents at the playgroup and school transition programs and through case studies. Schools have identified and reported on targets based on the aims of the program in their Management Plans.