Ukrainian children in London are “excited and honoured” to be in the capital for the Coronation and are using it as a distraction from the war in their home country, teachers said.
Pupils at London’s largest Ukrainian school have been given lessons about the royal family and British values, headteacher Inna Hryhorovych said.
St Mary’s Ukrainian School in Holland Park will throw a Coronation street party this weekend with bunting and a cake-decorating competition, while pupils have already created portraits of the King, learned a Coronation dance, made their own crowns and taken part in a Coronation-themed holiday camp.
Ms Hryhorovych said: “They feel honoured to be part of such a historically significant event that positively distracts from other sad thoughts.”
She added: “Ukrainian people have felt the strong foundations of all the British values at once. These children are safe today thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the deep values of the British nation.”
St Mary’s was originally a Saturday school for British-born children of Ukrainians in London. But since the war broke out it has expanded hugely, becoming a lifeline for refugees and running classes for Ukrainian children.
The theme of the school’s Easter holiday camp was ‘coronation’, and pupils were presented with crowns on the final day. Ms Hryhorovych said: “All children felt like Queens and Kings for a day. The atmosphere was magical.”
