'I want to be a pharmacist, that's my goal'

Arya, 16 was supported by a charity scheme in Stoke-on-Trent helping asylum seeking children to access education

A schools project that has received Children in Need funding over the last 12 years has helped hundreds of young people seeking asylum to transition into mainstream education.

The Into Schools scheme in Stoke-on-Trent supports children who have arrived from other countries, by helping them to find school places.

Along with Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent they also do talks aimed at breaking down barriers and removing misconceptions about asylum seekers.

Arya, 16, from Iraq, and who came to the city in September last year, said the scheme had helped him with bursaries, free school meals and applications, and he was hoping to become a pharmacist.

His father had always stressed that education was the most important thing in his son's life, "so I'm always focused, always studying..to get a job that I want," he said.

The father and son arrived in England with dozens of other asylum seekers on a rubber boat from France. The journey went wrong when the phones being used to navigate failed, and the boat went in the wrong direction in the dark.

It started to fill with water in heavy waves and rain, and the engine eventually stopped.

They were at sea for 11 hours, Arya said, before being rescued by the coastguard. He had thought they were going to die.

But they would not have taken the risk if it was not important, he said.

"Me and my dad came here to give me a better life, and hopefully bring my mum and my little brother here as well."

He was still waiting to hear about his asylum application but starting school had allowed him to find a friendship group, he said.

The Into Schools scheme had helped with "everything that I needed, they were always there for me and helping me out with it".

Jude Hawes from the charity said the children of families seeking asylum are eager to learn

Jude Hawes from Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent said the project began in 2003 when they realised families were arriving in the city, but there was no mechanism to get them into education.

"For most of them, a lot of them they've spent a year or more travelling here, before that they may have been in refugee camps where there has been no education..they are so eager, so keen."

It made a "huge difference to their lives" to able to give them this start, said Ms Hawes, and would not be possible without support from Children In Need.

"It was really hard for us to get funding for it in the first place, Children In Need have been a fantastic support to us."

Tina Adlington is assistant principal at Birches Head Academy which has more than 20 pupils who are seeking asylum

Birches Head Academy currently has 22 asylum seekers in school and 17 refugees.

Fifty-four languages are spoken in the school. Assistant principal Tina Adlington said it was really important to make sure the pupils felt "absolutely welcome."

The school provide uniform and equipment via a hardship fund, and have an English as an additional language practioner who works closely with the children.

They also have a buddy system to connect pupils with other students who speak their language.

"Ultimately our main aim is to ensure they can access our curriculum, access eveything we have to offer them at our academy," said Ms Adlington.