London’s largest Ukrainian school has almost quadrupled in size since the war began, expanding into five new premises as refugee families continue to find refuge in the capital.
St Mary’s Ukrainian school in Holland Park now has 800 pupils, compared to around 220 a year ago, and the number of staff has increased by 350 per cent.
And numbers are still growing, with around ten newly arrived refugee children turning up to the Saturday school every week seeking the normality of school life after their education was ripped apart by the war.
Nearby schools and nurseries have offered up their premises for free to enable the school to expand, while pupils from some of London’s most prestigious private schools are working there as volunteer English teachers.
Headteacher Inna Hryhorovych said there are plans to open three more satellite schools in Richmond, Kingston and Kent to cope with the demand.
