KaleidRAScope: Supporting International New Arrivals in Newcastle

Newcastle’s KaleidRAScope Project is making a real difference for children, young people, and families who are International New Arrivals (INA) in the city. Led by the Educational Psychology Service (EPS), the project’s vision is clear: to ensure every international new arrival is welcomed, supported, and empowered to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally through collaborative, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practice.

What is KaleidRAScope?

KaleidRAScope is a multi-stranded initiative, working across three main areas:

Education Workstream: Direct support for individual children, group projects in schools, and systematic work to improve provision city-wide.
Local Authority Workstream: Collaboration with partners such as social care, admissions, and family support to improve outcomes for INA children, including those not yet in school.
City of Sanctuary Workstream: Embedding sanctuary principles in all work, supporting schools to become Schools of Sanctuary, and engaging with the wider community.

What does the work look like?

Individual Support: In 2024–25, the team received 42 referrals for individual casework, supporting children from a wide range of backgrounds and with diverse needs. Many cases involve complex family circumstances, requiring close multi-agency collaboration.
Group and Systems Work: The team has delivered bespoke training for school staff, supported the development of internal school provisions, and contributed to citywide projects such as the NEST schools project and Schools of Sanctuary. Training on English as an Additional Language (EAL), trauma-informed approaches, and distinguishing between EAL and SEND has been particularly well received. Staff reported a significant increase in confidence and understanding after attending.
Community and National Influence: The project has helped establish a national network of Educational Psychologists working with INA children, sharing best practice beyond Newcastle. The team’s work is closely aligned with Newcastle’s status as a City of Sanctuary, and the EPS has undertaken a self-audit to ensure its work is inclusive and welcoming.

Impact and Next Steps

Measuring impact in educational psychology is challenging, but the project focuses on factors known to drive positive change: sharing expertise, early intervention, creative problem-solving, and strong relationships with families and professionals. Case studies highlight successful transitions for young people into education, and staff feedback on training is overwhelmingly positive.

Looking ahead, the KaleidRAScope team plans to:

Continue strengthening multi-agency working,
Focus on systems-level change for broader impact,
Develop creative ways to evaluate and evidence their work.