This was especially touching as two old friends were brave enough to stand in front of the whole school and talk about how important it was to be made to feel they belonged, when they came to High Spen 10yrs ago.

In 2016 we were proud to be asked to welcome the first of nine Syrian refugee children. Their lack of English was matched by our 'limited' Arabic!

For many of the staff in school it was the start of one of the fondest learning curves we've had in the job.

This week we have welcomed back two of the boys, Muhammad and Ibrahim. During a busy week, they have been happy to share their memories of arriving in Gateshead and how they and their families were made to feel welcome, belonging to a new school and a new community.

I promised Muhammad I wouldn't post the super cute photos of their first days in school, but they gave permission to share this one!

It has been an emotional week, and adding a pin for the boys and their families on our Belong Map made a few eyes leak amongst the grown-ups who remember the boys starting with us.

High Spen Belong Map

In a half term where we have welcomed seven new children (Nur, Y1, Y4 & Y5) it is reassuring to hear existing children speak so well about the importance of helping others feel they belong.