Ukrainian school is 'priceless' and aims to expand

A Saturday school for Ukrainian refugees could help more children with extra funding, organisers have said.

The Sunflower School in Milton Keynes offers classes in a range of subjects including Ukrainian and maths.

Those behind the school say is "priceless" and want to help more people stay connected with their language and culture.

The government says it has provided councils with money to help Ukrainian children settle into the UK.

The school was named after the national flower of Ukraine and offers lessons to children aged four to 16 years old who are in regular schools during the week.

Mary, 11, said she lost contact with friends back home after arriving in the UK around a year ago.

"Here I have my friends and I am happy", she said of the school.

For ten-year-old Kseniia, whose focus at school during the week is learning England, the priority at The Sunflower School is practice her Ukrainian writing.

"I just learn new things here," she said.

The school was set up by Ukraine Appeal, a local charity in Milton Keynes, which hires out rooms in a primary school. It currently helps around 25 children but is seeking charitable funding to support more.

The charity's co-founder Viktoriya Shtanko has lived in the UK for nearly 20 years.

She said the work of the school was "priceless" and was designed to help children stay connected with their home language and culture amid the war in Ukraine.

"I consider what we are creating here something very special," she said.

The government said it had provided local councils with "extensive education programmes". "The scheme provides councils with £5,900 to spend on each person arriving from Ukraine this year, which they can use on education programmes including English lessons," it said.

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