SJFP and St Mary’s Co-Host Parliamentary Roundtable on the Future of Ukraine’s Children

St Mary’s Ukrainian School, together with the Coalition for Global Prosperity and the St James’s Foreign Policy Group, recently hosted The Future of Ukraine’s Children Roundtable in Parliament, with support from Joe Powell MP who chaired the event.

We were honoured to welcome Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Blair McDougall MP, Johanna Baxter MP, and Dame Christine Ryan DBE, a longtime supporter of the school, to the discussion. A particular highlight was the contribution of Ukrainian lawyer and MP Lesia Vasylenko, who joined us all the way from Ukraine to share her insights and support.

The roundtable addressed the profound impact of displacement due to war on children’s education and wellbeing. Since 2022, St Mary’s Ukrainian School has rapidly expanded, now educating 2,500 children across 15 locations in the UK, with 86% of our dedicated staff also displaced by the war. The school provides essential education, psychological support, family assistance, and medical care through its four-pillar support model.

Key discussion points included the urgent need to reinstate a Ukrainian language GCSE in the UK, a qualification removed in 1995 but critical to preserving cultural identity and ensuring displaced children can study their native language formally. Existing Ukrainian teachers are ready to support, but a central government push is needed for exam board approval.

Concerns were also highlighted by Founder & CEO of St James's Foreign Policy Group and a member of the Advisory Council at Coalition for Global Prosperity, Aliona Hlivco, Aliona Hlivco, over children being forced to take a Russian GCSE due to the absence of a Ukrainian alternative, underscoring the importance of swift development of Ukrainian qualifications to prevent cultural assimilation and trauma imposed by the Russian language.

 During the discussion, Lesia Vasylenko emphasised the complexity faced by displaced children who often absorb the culture of their host country, which can inadvertently distance them from their Ukrainian heritage. Stating that families and educational institutions need support to preserve Ukrainian culture amidst displacement.

 Inna Hryhorovych MBE, Headteacher at St Mary’s, shared her vision for a full-time bilingual school with new building infrastructure as part of the St Sophia project, serving approximately 400 secondary students. She mentioned possibilities of using Chelsea’s asset frozen funds or formal application routes for school establishment. Joe Powell MP and others agreed on the importance of continuing to push for government funding and policy support.

 The discussion also included the pressing need to embed trauma-informed practices across the UK education system. This includes integrating trauma-sensitive training into Initial Teacher Training and ongoing professional development without overwhelming educators, to better support war-affected children’s psychological wellbeing.

 There was overwhelming acknowledgment that Ukraine will be required to welcome back its brightest students after the conflict to aid in national reconstruction following the war. Therefore, facilitating the education of children exposed to both Ukrainian and British cultures abroad was seen as vital preparation for rebuilding the country’s future society and infrastructure from the ground up.

St Mary’s Ukrainian School remains committed to championing the educational and emotional needs of Ukraine’s displaced children. Working with government, parliamentarians, and civil society, the school strives to safeguard the futures of its students by ensuring access to culturally relevant education, psychological support, and family care. Together, concerted efforts can deliver brighter futures for Ukraine’s children both in the UK and at home.