The report titled "Experiences of Accessing Education in Asylum Accommodation," published in February 2025 by Together with Migrant Children and the Public Law Project, with extensive support from Garden Court Chambers, explores the challenges faced by asylum-seeking children in accessing education while living in asylum accommodation. The report was funded by the ILPA Strategic Legal Fund.
The report's findings
In August 2024, a survey was distributed to organisations working with asylum-seeking families The majority (76%) reported issues with children in asylum support accommodation starting school, with delays often exceeding four weeks. Some children waited over a year for a school place. The survey revealed that all 19 organisations that provided specific figures reported delays of over four weeks in accessing primary or secondary school places, with some organisations reporting consistent patterns of delays across all children that they support.
Children in both initial and dispersal accommodation experienced delays, typically between three and eight weeks. Three organisations reported children waiting over a year. Whilst children were without school places, organisations report little alternative education was provided, with most children not receiving any alternative provision while waiting for a school place.
Common issues identified to obtaining school places included delays in applying for school places, lack of support in completing applications, and financial barriers such as transport costs and uniform expenses. Frequent relocations and complex application processes further complicated access to education.
Children's experiences
The report includes 11 case studies illustrating the impact of these delays. For example, two children were out of school for 13 weeks due to a move from initial to dispersal accommodation. Another case involved two primary-aged children out of school for five weeks due to delays in initial accommodation. Another secondary-aged child was out of school for 11 weeks with no alternative provision offered.
In a positive practice example, a local authority coordinated support effectively and worked with a wide multi-agency network, ensuring minimal delays when Home Office hotels were placed with little notice or coordination within the local authority area.
The report highlights significant delays and barriers faced by asylum-seeking children in accessing education. It calls for improved coordination between the Home Office, local authorities, and support organisations to ensure timely access to education and mitigate the negative impacts on children's mental health and educational outcomes. The findings underscore the need for systemic changes to address these challenges and ensure that all children, regardless of their immigration status, have equal access to education.
Key learning from the report
There is a lack of specific data collection on asylum seeking children's access to education and delays in starting school.
Advocacy for children and support with school application forms is sporadic. In some accommodation, contracted providers will provide this support. In others not.
There are positive examples of practice within local authorities, however most respondents report that there is a lack of engagement from the Home Office in multi-agency arrangements around hotels and communities with large concentrations of asylum support accommodation, to contribute to planning for children. The short notice nature of moves and hotel placement often means local authorities have very little notice of children requiring school places.
The dispersal 'no choice' policy of the Home Office assumes availability of school places. The default practice of short notice moves and dispersal leaves families without the opportunity to prepare for moves, make school applications in good time and secure school places.
Children and families often are moved frequently. In many cases examined, children move multiple times, causing significant disruption to children's education.
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