UK state schools have welcomed Ukrainian-arrival pupils throughout the post-2022 period and have established protocols for disrupted schooling, EAL support, and trauma-informed pastoral care. This guide maps the Ukrainian school structure onto the UK system, sets out year-group equivalence by age, and walks through the 90-day decisions you'll face after arrival.
Key facts
Ukraine runs an 11/12-year general-education school structure (4 years primary + 5 years basic + 2-3 years specialised secondary). Compulsory schooling is from age 6 to 17. UK state schools place by age. The mapping below uses the UK 1-September cutoff.
| Age | Ukraine | UK (England) | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 | Pre-school / Class 1 (start) | Reception / Year 1 | Early Years / KS1 |
| 6–7 | Class 1 (Primary) | Year 2 | Key Stage 1 |
| 7–8 | Class 2 | Year 3 | Key Stage 2 |
| 8–9 | Class 3 | Year 4 | Key Stage 2 |
| 9–10 | Class 4 (end of Primary) | Year 5 | Key Stage 2 |
| 10–11 | Class 5 (start of Basic) | Year 6 (SATs) | Key Stage 2 |
| 11–12 | Class 6 | Year 7 | Key Stage 3 |
| 12–13 | Class 7 | Year 8 | Key Stage 3 |
| 13–14 | Class 8 | Year 9 | Key Stage 3 |
| 14–15 | Class 9 (end of Basic) | Year 10 (GCSE start) | Key Stage 4 |
| 15–16 | Class 10 (Specialised Secondary) | Year 11 (GCSE) | Key Stage 4 |
| 16–17 | Class 11 — NMT (university entry) | Year 12 (AS / start of A-level) | Key Stage 5 |
| 17–18 | (Class 12 from 2027 reform) | Year 13 (A-level) | Key Stage 5 |
Scotland uses P1–P7 (primary) and S1–S6 (secondary); Northern Ireland uses Year 1–14 with a one-year offset; Wales follows England's Year numbers. See the UK School System guide for full nation comparisons.
UK admissions teams handle Ukrainian transcripts routinely — including incomplete or disrupted documentation. For UK university entry, plan a foundation-year route 12+ months ahead.
All Ukrainian-scheme routes and standard work / family routes give dependent children full state-school access. School Atlas does not give immigration advice; consult an OISC-regulated adviser for visa questions.
A UK government scheme matching Ukrainian arrivals with UK-based sponsor hosts. Children of Homes for Ukraine visa holders have full access to UK state schools, free of charge, with priority in many local-authority admissions.
Family-route schemes for Ukrainian nationals. Children of Family Scheme visa holders have full state-school rights from arrival.
Used by Ukrainian professionals on the standard work-route. Same school-access rights for dependants.
Since January 2024 only PhD/research-level student visas can bring dependants. Children of eligible student-visa parents have full state school access.
School Atlas is not authorised to give immigration advice. For Homes for Ukraine, Family Scheme, or Permission Extension Scheme questions, consult an OISC-regulated adviser (search the official OISC adviser register) or read official guidance at gov.uk/government/collections/ukraine-uk-visa-schemes. We can help you choose a school once you know your visa.
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Free school meals & Pupil Premium
Eligibility for Ukrainian-scheme families and how to apply
SEND Rights & Processes
Special Educational Needs support — including for trauma-informed pathways
School Anxiety & Refusal
EBSA, mental-health support, and CAMHS referrals
Most UK state schools have welcomed Ukrainian-arrival pupils since 2022 and have established psychosocial-support protocols. Disrupted schooling, mid-year arrivals, and incomplete documentation are familiar to admissions teams. You will not be alone in navigating this.
Ukrainian-scheme families typically qualify for free school meals (means-tested) and the school receives additional Pupil Premium funding for these pupils, which schools spend on additional academic and pastoral support.
Every UK state school has a statutory duty to provide English as an Additional Language support. Children with limited English typically reach social fluency in 1–2 years and academic fluency in 5–7 years — this is normal, well-documented, and not a learning difficulty.
Ukrainian Saturday supplementary schools have expanded substantially since 2022. Major Ukrainian community programmes operate in Manchester, London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and other cities. Some UK schools offer Ukrainian as a GCSE or A-level via the AQA Modern Languages framework, but provision is uneven.
Many UK LAs have specialist Educational Psychology Service support specifically for Ukrainian-arrival pupils dealing with post-2022 disruption and displacement. Ask the school SENCO about local pathways. CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) referrals are also available where relevant.
UK universities typically require the Атестат plus NMT scores plus either a 1-year foundation programme or A-level top-up for direct undergraduate entry. Some universities accept the Атестат with strong grades for specific courses. Plan the route 12+ months ahead.
Some Ukrainian children were in Russian-medium schooling pre-2022; many have switched to Ukrainian-medium since. UK schools handle this neutrally — note the medium of instruction the child has had so EAL planning is accurate. Russian and Ukrainian are linguistically related but distinct languages.
International Families Guide
Year-group mapping for any country, EAL support, mid-course GCSE entry
Free School Meals & Pupil Premium
Eligibility, application, and what schools spend the money on
SEND Rights & Processes
EHCPs, IDPs, CSPs, tribunals — your rights across all 4 nations
School Anxiety & Refusal
EBSA, triggers, CAMHS referrals, parent action plan