At BHSU, we believe education is a key to helping people settle into a new life. Starting school is an important way for Ukrainian children to gain a sense of normality and begin to feel part of life in the UK. For adults, English language training can open up life in the UK, giving them the skills and confidence to integrate into their new community or re-enter the workplace.
If you are an educator, we’d love to hear from you about ways to collaborate and offer educational opportunities to children and adults.
Keep reading to find out more about how we’ve used education to help Ukrainians so far.
At BHSU, we’ve built up a network of schools across the UK providing school places and scholarships. We are on hand to help Ukrainians navigate the British schooling system and enrol in both state and private schools.
Through our partner schools, we are able to match students to available school places and, in our first year, secured nearly £300,000 worth of scholarships for children to attend British boarding schools.
Working with local authorities and private educators, we can help to assess the ability of students to advise on year-group placement and remain available to support students once they have started school.
We are always looking to expand our network of educators, helping to open up new opportunities for children to study and thrive at school. If you’re interested in working with us then please get in touch.
Starting at a new school in a new country speaking a new language can be incredibly scary for children. Summer schools are a great way to ease kids into the British educational system. They get the chance to learn, make friends and practise their English without the term-time pressures of exams and grades.
In 2022, we were lucky to partner with prestigious schools across the UK who opened their doors to Ukrainian children through summer schools.
Hanna Saraieva, 14, spent time at Sidcot School in July 2022: “What I liked the most was playing volleyball! I made new friends and loved them. I also like our trips and campfire nights.”
Lyudmila, Hanna’s mother: “Thank you so much for this opportunity! This is a new country for us, we have to learn a new language and to adapt to a new culture. Therefore it was such luck for my daughter to spend this summer with peers from different countries, to improve her English just before the academic year. We are very grateful and appreciate your support!”
Read more summer school success stories here.
For Ukrainian students who are finishing secondary school or already at university, the war struck at a crucial time in their educational journey and route to employment. We don’t want them to suffer further by having their studies cut short and opportunities disappear from sight. That’s why we’re excited to offer opportunities to help students continue in their education.
We’re teaming up with the Ukrainian Global University, an initiative set up in March 2022 to enable talented Ukrainian students to continue their education through scholarships at partner universities around the world. Applicants undergo a selection process through UGU which includes an English test, aptitude test and interview with international academics in order to match the right candidates to the available courses. In the first months of the war, UGU received over 3000 applications and its team of volunteers placed 52 students in programmes starting in the autumn of 2022.
Working in partnership with UGU, our team at BHSU will help to expand the initiative’s outreach and bring on board more universities in the UK, enabling Ukrainian students to benefit from Britain’s world-class education. If you would like to hear more or are interested in offering higher educational opportunities, then please get in touch.
You can also find out more about the Ukrainian Global University here.
Many courses require students to prove their English language skills before they can enrol. IELTS is a test recognised by thousands of universities and employers around the world. We’ve partnered with Progress to IELTS to offer free access to their digital study tool and help Ukrainian students prepare for this test.
Developed by assessment experts and teachers, Progress to IELTS comprises more than forty hours of high quality, original and secure content. Four complete interactive IELTS Practice tests are provided and the full range of question types are covered. Progress with Speaking and Progress with Writing offer extra practice and cover a wide range of topics found in the IELTS test. The Teacher Guide suggests additional activities and techniques.
Over the summer of 2022, BHSU was able to deliver language training to 80 Ukrainian students through Living Learning English.
Mastering the English language is key to helping Ukrainians settle into life in the UK, from feeling confident heading to the supermarket through to transferring their skills into the workplace.
We are looking to partner with more language schools so we can offer further English training to Ukrainians. If you can help then please get in touch.