Townmoor School Report 2010
The term Traveller is used to describe a number of different groups:
- English Romany (Gypsy)
- Travellers of Irish, Welsh Heritage
- Eastern European (Roma)
- New Age Travellers
- Occupational Travellers – Showmen (fairground) and circus
In the Newcastle area there are families who are of Traveller
heritage and culture. They have been housed for some time and
may travel only for special family occasions, such as weddings,
funerals or christenings. Some belong to Christian movements and
go to rallies in the Northern area.
Romany
families will also go to horse fairs such as Appleby. This
is held at the beginning of June for a week, though some families
may take more time away if they are travelling with horses.
Occasionally there are unauthorised encampments on industrial estates and
car parks.
The children from housed families probably attend school
on a regular basis. It is difficult to know the extent of the Newcastle
population of Travellers, as many prefer to remain un-identified,
fearing prejudice and bullying. It is unlikely that they will complete the
census forms acknowledging either Gypsy/Roma or Traveller of
Irish Heritage.
It is important to identify these children for
ethnic monitoring purposes linked to achievement as they are entitled to support, when needed, from the Traveller Education
Support Teacher.
There do not seem to be pupils from showground families living
in Newcastle but they do pass through the area and may require
school places for short periods.
In June a school is provided
on the Town Moor for the duration of the Hoppings. Children from the fairground are supported
on site working with materials provided by their winter based schools.
The Traveller
Teacher who is the headteacher of the school, is part of the EMTRAS team based at the Newcastle Springfield Centre.
In addition, the Traveller teacher:
- gives advice and support to schools
- advises on cultural materials which can
be incorporated into the curriculum
- gives advice to staff and/or pupils about Traveller history and culture
For further information or for an advisory visit from Sarah Edgar, the Traveller Teacher, contact us at The Newcastle Springfield Centre.