Forced Migration & Integration

Ukrainian schools in the United Kingdom are far more than extra language classes.They have become spaces where communities are formed, cultural memory ispreserved, and a new generation of Ukrainians is supported as they grow up betweentwo countries and two education systems. The story of these schools beginsimmediately after the Second World War and continues especially vividly after 2022,when tens of thousands of new Ukrainian families arrived in Britain. Origins: Ukrainian schools after the Second World WarAfter the Second World War, a significant number of Ukrainian displaced personssettled in the United Kingdom. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the first UkrainianSaturday schools and preschool groups began to appear within the newly formedcommunities. They became the foundation for the development ofUkrainian‑language education in the diaspora.The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) played a major role in thisprocess. Ukrainian studies schools were opened at its branches in various cities –Bradford, Bolton, Manchester, Nottingham, London, Wolverhampton and others.Some of these schools existed for only a few years, while others worked for decades,passing the language and culture on to the children and grandchildren of post‑waremigrants.One of the best‑known examples is St Mary’s Ukrainian School in London. It datesback to the 1950s, developed under the patronage of AUGB, and later became one ofthe most important Ukrainian educational centres in the country. Thanks to suchschools, the Ukrainian language and traditions did not disappear by the second orthird generation in the diaspora but remained alive and active. After 2022: a new wave, new schoolsRussia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 radically changed the scale of theUkrainian presence in the United Kingdom. Along with tens of thousands of adults,thousands of children arrived who needed not only housing and safety but also theopportunity to continue learning in their native language, maintain a connection withUkraine, and find an environment where they felt they belonged.Existing Ukrainian Saturday schools grew rapidly: pupil numbers doubled andsometimes increased several times, additional locations, new streams and parallelclasses were opened. At the same time, new schools and educational centres began toappear across the UK – within communities, churches, parents’ initiatives andcharitable organisations, including in online formats. A typical example is the St Mary’s Ukrainian School network, which expanded after2022 to several sites in different towns, with the number of pupils reaching hundredsand even more than a thousand. Similar schools operate in London, Northampton,Glasgow, Edinburgh and many other cities, welcoming both children from the newwave of displaced Ukrainians and those from families of the “old” diaspora.In this way, Ukrainian schooling in the UK has evolved into a broad network ofSaturday and Sunday schools, online platforms and clubs that cover different agegroups – from preschool children to older teenagers. Saturday and Sunday schools: two formats, one missionThe Ukrainian community in the UK develops two main formats of out‑of‑schooleducation: Saturday schools and Sunday schools.Saturday schools usually operate for several hours every Saturday. They have a morestructured curriculum similar to a “small Ukrainian school”: with timetables, themedlessons, some homework, tests and final grades. Saturday schools are the ones mostoften undergoing verification and recognition procedures so that learning outcomescan be accepted in Ukraine.Sunday schools usually operate at Ukrainian churches – Greek‑Catholic andOrthodox parishes. They combine religious education and catechesis with Ukrainianstudies subjects. In Sunday schools, more attention is often paid to spiritual andcultural aspects, celebrations, shared prayer and volunteering, while pupils also studythe Ukrainian language, history and traditions.These two formats do not compete but complement each other: Saturday schoolsprovide systematic Ukrainian studies education, while Sunday schools root childrenin a community connected to the parish and spiritual life. What children study: lessons and curriculaThe curricula of Ukrainian Saturday and Sunday schools in the UK focus on subjectsthat are critically important for preserving identity but are not present in the Britishschool programme. Typically, children are offered lessons in: Ukrainian language: speaking, reading, writing, grammar Ukrainian literature: fairy tales, short stories, poetry, adapted works of classicsand contemporary authors History of Ukraine: from ancient times to modern history, with specialemphasis on the twentieth century, the struggle for independence and thecurrent war Geography of Ukraine: regions, cities, natural zones, symbols and culturalfeatures Ukrainian traditions and culture: calendar and family holidays, songs, folkcostumes, crafts, customs  Basics of Christian ethics or religious education (especially in schools attachedto churches) Creative disciplines and clubs: choir, folk and modern dance, visual arts,theatre studios, music and moreIn senior classes some schools offer advanced Ukrainian language and literature,research work in Ukrainian studies and participation in competitions and projects. Inthis way the programmes do not duplicate British schooling, but complement it andmaintain a full‑fledged Ukrainian educational context for the child. Verification of schools and recognition of learning outcomes in UkraineIt is crucial that a number of Ukrainian schools in the United Kingdom are not onlycommunity initiatives but also have an officially recognised educational status. TheMinistry of Education and Science of Ukraine has gradually developed mechanismsthat make it possible to: verify Ukrainian schools abroad that meet criteria for curricula, teacherqualifications and student performance tracking approve the curricula of these schools in line with Ukrainian educationalstandards transfer learning outcomes (grades in Ukrainian language, literature, historyand other subjects) to the student’s official records if they return to or continuetheir education in Ukrainian institutionsOne example is the Ukrainian St Mary’s school in Northampton, which has obtainedthe status of a certified educational centre with a programme approved by Ukrainianeducation authorities. Pupils sit official examinations there, and their results arerecognised by schools in Ukraine. This ensures continuity of education and givesparents confidence that their children’s learning in the UK is not “lost” from theUkrainian system.Recognition of learning outcomes also strengthens the moral and professionalimportance of teachers’ work in diaspora schools, bringing their status closer to thatof colleagues in Ukraine. The teachers’ community and professional developmentUkrainian schools in the UK rely on their teachers – both as professionals and ascommunity leaders. The vast majority of them work on a voluntary basis or receiveonly symbolic remuneration that does not reflect the scale of their work. They areoften: teachers, educators and academics from Ukraine who have found themselves inthe UK