As someone working at a UK state secondary school, I currently support 34 Ukrainian students and work alongside seven Ukrainian staff members, including a teacher, psychologist, and several cleaners — all of whom have come to the UK seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine.
The recent government announcement to extend free school meals to children of parents receiving Universal Credit by September 2026 is certainly a step in the right direction. However, it fails to address a serious gap affecting thousands of Ukrainian children in schools across the country.
Despite fleeing conflict, Ukrainians in the UK are not classified as having refugee status. Due to a legal loophole in the UK-Ukraine agreement, they are excluded from protections provided under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. As a result, Ukrainian families are ineligible for free school meals — and with that, miss out on the wider support that is often tied to that status, such as access to academic resources, extracurricular programs, and pastoral care.
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This leaves many Ukrainian students, already dealing with trauma and upheaval, at a significant disadvantage in their education and well-being.
Jess Brown-Fuller, the MP for Chichester, has rightly urged the government to provide more targeted assistance for Ukrainian refugees. But so far, no meaningful steps have been taken to close this support gap.
When will the government act to address this oversight and ensure that the children of Ukrainian families — who have fled war and now live in our communities — receive the same essential support afforded to others in need?
— Susie Cooke
English as an Additional Language Coordinator, Bishop Luffa School, Westgate, West Sussex
