Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils
Information slides
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Communities and cultural context
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Who are the Travellers?
There are several main groups of Travellers in the
United Kingdom:
• Anglo-Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers,
Welsh Gypsies and Scottish Travellers
• Roma
• Fairground or show people
• Circus families
• Boat people
• New Travellers.
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Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children
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A short history…
• 1505 – First record of Gypsies in Britain
• 1530 – First law making being an
immigrant Gypsy punishable by death
• 1596 – 106 Gypsies condemned to death
at one sitting in York
• 1783 – First act repealing the above
legislation
• Second World War 300–500,000 Gypsies died in the concentration camps
• 1989 – Anglo-Romany Gypsies legally recognised as an ethnic group
• 2000 – Irish Travellers legally recognised as an ethnic group
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Language
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Romany Gypsies
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Romani
Irish Travellers
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Gammon
Scottish Travellers –
Cant
Romani contains words from Persian, Greek and
many other Eastern and Western European
languages. A high proportion is still of Indian
origin. Romani derives from ancient Sanskrit.
Kushti
Nice, good
Mush
Man
Holler
Shout
Mokkadi Unclean
Frit
Frightened
Chavvi
Boy
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Fairground families
Baller Alarm by Toni_V. Used with kind
permission under the terms and conditions
of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Generic Licence.
Fairground Organ by surprise truck. Used
with kind permission under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Photograph of Fairground Horses by Dave-F. Used with
kind permission under the terms and conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
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Circus families
The big juggle by Charles Haynes. Used
with kind permission under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Circus Dancers by acaben. Used with kind
permission under the terms and conditions
of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Generic Licence.
The girl on the swing thing by Terwilliger911. Used with
kind permission under the terms and conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
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Boat families
Photograph of regents canal barges by ktylerconk. Used with kind permission under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
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New Travellers
• New Travellers refers to a growing community of people
from a range of cultural and social backgrounds that
have taken up a nomadic way of life over the last 40
years.
• In order to restrict the travelling patterns of New
Travellers, such as large convoys gathering for music
festivals, the 1994 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act
was brought in and this criminalised unauthorised
camping by all Travellers.
• There are small numbers of New Traveller children
entering mainstream education as often their parents
have chosen an alternative lifestyle and wish to educate
their children themselves.
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Gypsy/Roma and Traveller ethnic definitions
Recognised as a Minority Ethnic Group under the
Race Relations Act
1989
2000
Romany Gypsies
Travellers of Irish heritage
Known as Romany Gypsies (whether English,
Scottish or Welsh) and Irish Travellers (whether
mobile, of limited mobility or not living a
constantly mobile way of life but settled in
housing or in caravans on public or private sites).
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The Race Relations (Amendment) Act
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
places a general duty on every public authority,
including LAs and maintained schools, to
promote race equality.
In everything they do they should have due
regard to the need to:
– eliminate unlawful discrimination
– promote equality of opportunity
– promote good race relations between people of
different racial groups.
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Wider issues impacting on Gypsy, Roma
and Traveller communities
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The types of accommodation vary from group to
group and within groups of Travellers
Sarah & Chrome by fast eddie 42.
Used with kind permission under the
terms and conditions of the Creative
Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
Licence.
Gypsy Caravan Closer Up by
bixentro. Used with kind permission
under the terms and conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Generic Licence.
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Homes for Gypsies and Irish Travellers may be:
On the roadside
In a house
Bessermer Terrace near Stocksbridge Steel Works by
johnthescone. Used with kind permission under the terms
and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Generic Licence.
On an official site
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Travel Patterns
• Nomadic – constantly travelling or travelling for long
periods
– Occupation
– Family connections
– Retaining networks
• Semi-nomadic – travelling for part of the year
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Seasonal occupation
Religious conventions
Family/personal reasons
Retaining networks
• Static – travelling for short periods
– Holidays
– Family visits
– Religious conventions
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Gypsy and Traveller accommodation
• Information on numbers of ‘Gypsy caravans’ comes from
twice-yearly counts made by local authorities.
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January 2007:
Total of 16,611 caravans
January 2009:
Total of 17,865 caravans
68% of sites are more than 1km from a primary school
55% of sites are more than 1km from a post office
38% of sites are more than 1km from public transport
70% located in fringe areas of towns or villages
19% located in rural areas
11% located next to residential land
• It is estimated that well over half of Gypsies and
Travellers live in houses.
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Managing mobility
• The lack of secure accommodation for nomadic
groups remains the lynchpin of a plethora of
other inequalities
• It is estimated that the entire Gypsy and
Traveller population could be legally
accommodated if as little as one square mile of
land were allocated for sites in England
• 83% of LAs are not on track to provide the
necessary pitches by 2011
‘Gypsies and Travellers: Simple solutions for living together –
recommendations for national agencies’, Equality and Human
Rights Commission, 2009
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Some obstacles to adequate accommodation
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Lack of adequate council and private sites
Lack of transit sites
Planning permission refusals
Existing sites are often located at a distance
from common services and near to motorways,
major roads, rubbish tips and industrial activity
• Lack of security of tenure
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A disadvantaged community?
Access to mainstream services can be very difficult and
compared to the settled population there is:
• Lower life expectancy – 12 years fewer for women, 10
for men
• Higher neo-natal death rate
• Higher rates of death in childbirth
• Higher incidence of stress-related illnesses and suicides
• Difficulty in registering with GPs and dentists
• Higher incidence of chronic illnesses, e.g. respiratory
diseases, rheumatism, digestive illnesses
• Restricted access to screening programmes
• Lower rates of vaccinations
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Two main barriers to social inclusion
• Lack of systematic accurate ethnic data
collection across key areas of service provision
and employment
• ‘Fear of hostility, rejection and racist attitudes’
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What needs to happen to break down barriers?
• Improved data collection system
• Recognition of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller’s
rights
• Raised levels of awareness of the communities
• Overcoming settled community perceptions
• Building trust with communities
• Accurate identification of needs through
consultation and involvement
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• It is important to include and address the needs
of the Gypsy and Traveller communities. Failure
to do so may worsen the situation of those most
marginalised and vulnerable.
• By not addressing issues of marginalisation,
exclusion or discrimination, this may serve to
strengthen the settled community’s ability to
marginalise, exclude or discriminate.
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Raising the attainment of Gypsy, Roma
and Traveller pupils
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Vulnerable children
‘…probably the most severely deprived children in the country.’
‘…the children’s educational needs are nevertheless extreme and
largely unmet…’
Plowden Report – 1967
‘…of the four focus groups in this survey, Gypsy Traveller pupils are the
group most at risk in the education system.’
‘Teacher expectations of Gypsy Traveller pupils are generally
unreasonably low.’
‘… the level of hostility faced by Gypsy Traveller children is probably
greater than for any other minority ethnic group.’
‘Raising the attainment of minority ethnic pupils’, Ofsted, 1999
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Continuity of learning
‘For a significant proportion of pupils from
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families, educational
discontinuity was a major contributory factor to
underachievement.’
‘Managing Support for the Attainment of Pupils from Minority Ethnic
Groups’ , Ofsted, 2001
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Secondary school research project findings
This three-year study involved 44 students in 15 LAs:
• Majority left primary school with levels of attainment well below
national average
• By Key Stage 3 only 20% of students attained level 5 in English,
compared with 70% national average
• Pupils reluctant to report to their teachers racial harassment and
bullying, instead believed it safer to hide their ethnicity
• By the end of Key Stage 3 more than half of the sample had
dropped out
• 45% of the students were on the SEN register
• More than 25% of the students had been excluded
Gypsy Traveller Students in Secondary Schools,
Derrington and Kendall (2004)
Extracts from Gypsy Traveller Students in Secondary Schools, Derrington, C. and Kendall, S. ©
Trentham Books. Used with kind permission.
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Traveller Education Support Services aim to:
• Raise awareness and understanding of the
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, culture
and lifestyle so schools, agencies and
organisations can become more inclusive
• Secure improved access to education for
vulnerable children
• Promote and facilitate access to educational
opportunities among Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
families
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Ways in which services achieve their aims
• Providing advice and support to schools
• Assistance with home/school liaison
• Advising schools on the most effective strategies
for induction, encouraging:
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Advice on welfare matters
Professional development
Liaison with other local agencies
Liaison with other LAs and agencies nationally
Use of a resource bank of materials
Record transfer
Advice on the provision of Distance Learning Packs
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Work with schools
Support is targeted towards the most vulnerable
children.
The first priorities are:
• For highly mobile children to secure access and
attendance at school
• Transfer to secondary school
• Maintenance of attendance at secondary school
(Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Gypsy Traveller Pupils, DfES
2003)
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Pre-school education
‘Average participation for Travelling children in
nursery, playgroup or other under-five provision
is approximately 20%... Attitudes are changing…
More positive less anxious view of education.’
‘The Education of Travelling children’ – Survey of
Educational provision for Travelling Children, Ofsted
1996
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Post-16 education
The number of Traveller young people who have
access to and take advantage of post-school
vocational training and further and higher
education is worryingly small.
‘The Education of Travelling children’ – Survey of
Educational provision for Travelling Children, Ofsted,
1996
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Why are Traveller parents reluctant to send their
children to school?
• Personal experience – may be little or none; may have
been negative
• Little knowledge of education today
• Fear of hostility and rejection
• Inflexible admissions procedures
• Insecure stopping places
• Fear that children may be ‘educated out’
• Parental expectations mismatch with education
• Curriculum
• Media influence
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Factors that hinder access to school
• Lack of school places
• League tables on achievement
• Attendance issues
• Media influence
• Rapid evictions
• Transport difficulties
• Elective Home Education
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Including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
children
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What makes an inclusive school?
• An educationally inclusive school is one in which the
teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and wellbeing of every young person matter.
Effective schools are educationally inclusive schools.
This shows, not only in their performance, but also in
their ethos and their willingness to offer new
opportunities to pupils who may have previously
experienced difficulties.
• This does not mean treating all pupils in the same way.
• Rather it involves taking account of pupils’ varied life
experiences and needs.
Evaluating Education Inclusion – Guidance for Inspectors and Schools 2001
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Evaluating inclusive practice…
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Do all school policies and practices promote inclusion?
Do all staff have high expectations of all pupils?
Do all the school staff have an understanding of other cultures?
Are resources inclusive of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities?
Are positive images of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
included in the curriculum?
How are new parents and children welcomed into school?
How do you communicate with parents who may have low levels of
literacy?
Do you have a named member of staff that children and parents
know they can talk to?
Do all staff take collective responsibility for challenging
stereotyping?
Are Traveller parents involved in school life for example as
governors, staff members?
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Collaborate with the TESS
Some examples of joint working with the TESS may
include:
• Home–school liaison
• Advice on culturally appropriate curriculum and
resources
• Advice about the induction of new arrivals
• Record transfer/liaison with other LAs
• Professional development training on race equality,
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture and lifestyle
• School self-evaluation
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Provide a culturally relevant and affirming
curriculum
‘No child should be expected to cast off the
language and culture of the home as he crosses
the school threshold… and the curriculum
should reflect those aspects of his life.’
Bullock Report, ‘A Language for Life’, 1975
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‘The situation of Travellers’ children in Britain
today throws into stark relief many of the
factors which influence the children from
other ethnic minority groups – racism &
discrimination, myths, stereotyping &
misinformation, the inappropriateness and
inflexibility of the education system and the
need for better links between homes and
schools and teachers and parents.’
‘Education For All’, 1985
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Some comments:
Deputy headteacher of a secondary school
“He can’t come here, he’s a Traveller.”
Teacher in a secondary school
“You mean we have Gypsies in our school? They’re all
dirty and dishonest.”
Mother of an eight-year-old boy to his class
teacher
“I don’t want my child to sit next to a Gypsy.”
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Horses are still very important to this community
Pictures taken at
Appleby Horse Fair
Three photos taken at Appleby Horse Fair
2009 by C. Wilkinson. Used with kind
permission under the terms and conditions
of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Generic Licence.
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Acknowledgements
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Fairground Organ by surprise truck. Used with kind permission under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Baller Alarm by Toni_V. Used with kind permission under the terms and conditions of
the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Photograph of Fairground Horses by Dave-F. Used with kind permission under the
terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
The girl on the swing thing by Terwilliger911. Used with kind permission under the
terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Circus Dancers by acaben. Used with kind permission under the terms and conditions
of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
The big juggle by Charles Haynes. Used with kind permission under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Photograph of regents canal barges by ktylerconk. Used with kind permission under
the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Gypsy Caravan Closer Up by bixentro. Used with kind permission under the terms
and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
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Acknowledgements
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•
•
•
Sarah & Chrome by fast eddie 42. Used with kind permission under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
Bessermer Terrace near Stocksbridge Steel Works by johnthescone. Used with kind
permission under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Generic Licence.
Extracts from Gypsy Traveller Students in Secondary Schools, Derrington, C. and
Kendall, S. © Trentham Books. Used with kind permission.
Three photos taken at Appleby Horse Fair 2009 by C. Wilkinson. Used with kind
permission under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Generic Licence.
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