We’re delighted to share some research on our peer tutoring programme, where sixth formers support younger pupils who use English as an additional language in their school. Following the expansion of the peer tutoring programme to a total of four secondary schools in Bristol in September 2024, we started to discuss how to explore the broader impacts of the programme beyond language acquisition related to building confidence and a sense of belonging at school. 

'The overwhelming feeling in the room was about friendships and positivity and fun related to learning English. For the peer tutors as well as the pupils, it was that sense of being part of something.'
‍_{Jacari Coordinator}

As part of his postgraduate dissertation, Ben Crowther designed a workshop for Jacari pupils and their peer tutors to explore what they value for a sense of belonging at school. Ben was a Jacari Coordinator in Oxford for several years until last summer when he moved on to complete an MA in Education and International Development at University College London. His research aimed to understand how newly arrived young people from refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant backgrounds perceive their sense of belonging at school, the factors deemed important for it, and how peer tutoring can foster it.

Key findings

While the study confirmed that belonging is vital for newly arrived students, it also revealed that experiences of belonging are not uniform: 

1. Friendships help create a supportive and welcoming environment for newly arrived young people through shared experiences and familiarity. 

Pupil explained the importance of teachers and friends in her drawings and discussion with her peer tutor

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2. Friendships and positive interactions with peers facilitated language learning for newly arrived young people. 

Pupil expressed her thoughts through drawings that conveyed speech. Her peer tutor noted that she discussed importance of conversations with friends.

‍3. Social learning and confidence building are therefore key aspects of the peer tutoring programme. 

There is an increasing emphasis on a holistic education model that addresses the complex learning, social and emotional needs of newly arrived students. Limited capacity and resources for targeted support can be tackled with a whole school approach. Education practitioners interviewed for the research argued that such an holistic approach is most efficiently achieved by innovative partnerships with external organisations and charities such as Jacari. 

Read more here