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How independent schools can support Ukrainian refugees

The Department for Education is encouraging independent schools to do their part to support Ukrainian refugees. We know that a number of independent schools are keen to help Ukrainian refugees but how to do so is not always clear. The Good Schools Guide and the Independent Schools Council are here to help you do this.   

Offer a day school bursary to a Ukrainian refugee  

If your school is able to offer a place supported by a bursary (equivalent to 100% of the school fees), to a child of a refugee family, you can contact the Children Missing in Education officer (CME) at your local authority. CME officers have a duty to find school places for any children living within their local authority, including refugees and asylum-seekers, who contact them. The CME officers normally then work with local state schools, but if they are aware of places in independent schools, they will be happy to refer students there too. This reduces the pressure on the local state schools, and is also a good way for independent schools with charitable status to demonstrate their commitment to public benefit.  

How do independent schools offer a bursary to Ukrainian refugees?  

If your school could consider offering a bursary to a Ukrainian student, complete the form for the CME officer so they have some idea of what your offer would constitute (gender, age range, English proficiency, special ‘talents’ of the child). The form should be completed and sent to the CME officer’s contacts in your local authority. You will find a list of CME officers, including their contact numbers and email addresses here.

Both the Good Schools Guide and the Independent Schools Council are interested to know the extent to which schools are responding to the needs of Ukrainian refugees. Please keep in touch by emailing refugees@goodschoolsguide.co.uk. We would also be delighted to receive questions and comments.   

- Ralph Lucas, Editor in Chief of The Good Schools Guide

- Julie Robinson, CEO of the Independent Schools Council

Further ways independent schools can help  

The Good Schools Guide have identified further initiatives of how independent schools can help Ukrainian refugees, including:

  • Offering a sixth form boarding school bursary for Ukrainian Global University students
  • Providing a location for Saturday school and after school places for Ukrainian refugees
  • Recruiting qualified Ukrainian teachers from the refugee community

Click here for more information.

 

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