Childcare and Education

Childcare in England is for children who are under school age. Nurseries and Pre-Schools are private businesses, however there is funding available from the UK government depending on your circumstances and where in the UK you live.

The childcare funding system is going through extensive changes by the UK government. If you are in England, you may be eligible for the following support. You should check this on the government’s Childcare Choices website. Additional advice is available on the Get Childcare: step by step website.

Childcare hours are dependent on what you earn at work, or what benefits you receive.

All 3 and 4 year-olds can have 15 hours per week of free childcare with an approved childcare provider.

If you, and your partner (if you have one), are working and expect to earn at least £183 per week each then you may be eligible to have 30 hours of free-childcare per week for 3 and 4 year olds and 15 hours per week for 2 year olds.

You need to apply online to get help with childcare costs.

Through 2025, the government is expanding the eligibility for free childcare. Please speak to your childcare provider for more information.

There are different types of approved children providers in England. Which type your child attends will depend on the needs of your family and the availability of spaces.

Day Nurseries – usually open year-round Monday to Friday from roughly 8am to 6pm.

Pre-Schools – usually half-day care with play and education sessions, available during school term-time only.

Nursery Classes – attached to Primary Schools and accept children the academic year (September – July) before they turn 5 and start school. This means your child cannot access a nursery class until the academic year they turn 4. Open during school term times and school hours (usually 9am to 3pm).

You will need to apply to childcare providers directly for a space in their childcare setting. This may be the local council – for nursery classes, for example – or a private business. The following links can direct you to finding your own childcare place:

Find a nursery school place – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Find free early education and childcare – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Find a Sure Start Children’s Centre – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

All children in the UK are entitled to education, including those who have arrived from Ukraine, as set out by the Secretary of State for Education in May 2022.

The government also supports low-income Ukrainian families accessing school-holiday childcare and free-school meals via the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, and the use of laptops and other technology via funding provided to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to accessing education while in the UK, the Ukrainian Ministry for Education and Science has published the Ukrainian curriculum and additional educational materials. While this cannot replace in-person education in the UK, it can help your child feel connected and up-to-date with the education they experienced at home in Ukraine.

All children and young people in the UK have to be in full-time education from 5 years-old until they turn 18 years-old. It is compulsory to enroll and send your child to school, or provide a suitable education at home.

School is an opportunity for your children to interact with other children, learn social skills, advance their education, and be exposed to English language skills.

The majority of children in the UK attend state schools. These schools do not charge fees or ask children to take an exam to be able to attend. A smaller number of UK children will attend selective or private schools. These schools will ask children to sit entrance exams (called the 11+ or their own personal exams) to be able to attend. In addition to this, private schools charge a yearly fee for children to be able to attend.

If you send your child to a school, they will go to different schools depending on how old they are. They will be in a specific ‘Year Group’ in the school depending on their age.

In Scotland, the division between schools is slightly different to England and Wales. If you are residing in Scotland, speak to your local authority for advice.

Children aged 4 to 11 (Primary)

Children in England and Wales start school full-time in the September after their 4^th birthday, meaning they will turn 5 during the school year. They start in Reception class, and continue in the same school until they are 11 years old, which is Year 6 class. This is called Primary School.

Some children will attend two schools instead of one during this time. From age 5 to 7/8 they may attend an Infant School and then move to a Junior School from 8 to 11/12.

Children aged 11 to 16 (Secondary)

From Year 7 to Year 11 of school, your children will attend a Secondary School which will likely be much larger than their Primary School. Lots of children walk to their secondary school, however they may have to travel by school bus in some areas, or you can drive them in.

There are often lots of fun clubs and sports opportunities at secondary schools, and children will mix with lots of other children their age.

In Year 11, when they are 15/16 years old, children in the UK take examinations called GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education). These are important examinations which demonstrate their knowledge of different subjects and helps with employment after school.

Young people aged 16 to 18 (Further Education)

When young people finish their GCSEs in Year 11, they are able to make a decision about how they want to continue the final two years of their education. In some areas, these provisions are called ‘Post-16’ education.

Sixth Form or Sixth Form College: young people who go onto Sixth Form education will traditionally study for two years for A-Level (Advanced Level) qualifications or IB (International Baccalaureate) which can be used to go to university or into the workplace.

Young people can choose to stay at the Sixth Form their Secondary School has, if they offer this, or can apply to go to other Sixth Forms near them.

Further Education College: young people who go to college will often find a wider variety of examination and subject choices called BTECs and T-Levels. These often offer a more vocational (skills and employment-based) route than A-Levels, but can also be more academic in the same manner as A-Levels. Some colleges will also offer A-Levels alongside of BTECs and T-Levels. These examinations also offer a route to university or the workplace.

The below table shows how Year Groups in England and Wales align with School Grades in Ukraine. You can use this to understand what Year Group your child will be put into: ADD TABLE

Government, translated, guidance on how to apply for a school place in the UK can be found here.

Unless you arrive in time for your child to begin school in September (the beginning of the school year) you will go through an ‘in-year’ admissions process. Your choices of school may be limited as it is dependent on which schools have a place for your child – this is especially true for Year 1 and Year 7 where parents go through a process to be allocated schools close to a year before their child will attend.

Your local council is responsible for organising school places for most types of state school, however in some cases you may have to apply directly to the school. Contact your council to understand what you need to do.

There is no government assistance for childcare for children who are of school age, but there are options available to have additional care to allow you to work.

Many schools provide “wraparound care” which often includes a before-school or breakfast club from around 7am and after-school club until around 6pm. The length of provision, its cost, and its availability depends on your child’s primary school.

You could also pay a registered childminder to look after your child before and/or after school.

In school holidays, there are many club and ‘camps’ which your child could attend for a fee. Your child’s school will likely be able to advise regarding what is available in your area.

Individual schools are able to decide the support which they can put into place for your child, however the government does provide resources to support schools. It is important to communicate directly with your child’s school to find out what support would be best for them.

If you are only just arriving in the UK, your child’s school may already have other Ukrainian children who have fled the conflict. If this is the case, the school may be able to help you get in touch with other families who have experienced a similar situation to yours.

In many cases, all or the majority of your child’s needs can be addressed and supported by the SEN (Special Education Needs) Co-ordinator, or ‘SENCO’ in your child’s mainstream school. They will be able to decide what support your child needs to be able to learn and thrive in their educational environment. The UK Government provides guidance on what support your child may receive.

In certain circumstances, your child may be better supported in a specific special-educational needs school.

If your child is not yet in school, you can contact your local council or local Information, Advice and Support (IAS) service for guidance.

After you have finished school, and any time during your adult life, you may decide to continue your education at university. UK universities charge yearly fees for you to attend, and these are different whether you are a ‘Home’ or ‘International’ student.

If you are on a Ukraine Scheme visa, you are able to access the UK Home Fee for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025. This fee is £9,535 per year for each year of your course. The Secretary for Legal Migration and the Border stated that, in the event of Ukrainian students having to move onto ‘ordinary immigration routes’ (i.e. a student visa) universities should honour the fee they began their degree course on, however this is not written into policy and so cannot be guaranteed.

You may also be eligible to receive student loans to help cover the cost of university while you are on a Ukraine Scheme visa, however this is dependent on the level of qualification being studied, personal circumstances (including your family’s finances), and the country within the UK in which you are studying.

‘Student loans’ refer to tuition fee loans, maintenance loans (for rent and living costs while at university), grants, and/or bursaries. You will need to consult the website of the student finance body for where you usually reside in the UK:

• Student finance England;
• Student Finance Wales;
• Student Awards Agency Scotland;
• Student Finance NI.

If you need advice about your fee status and eligibility for student loans for UK-based universities, you can contact the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) which provides specialist advice.

If you are already studying with a university in Ukraine, it may be the case that you are able to/have been able to continue your studies remotely from the UK.

While you are welcome to do this if your university supports it, you will be unable to claim any UK student finance or student maintenance loans for the duration of your study. This is because tuition fee loans from UK providers are only applicable to UK university home fees. Additionally, British students also cannot access maintenance loans if they are studying a ‘distance’ (online) course.

If you are a full-time student, even if this is in Ukraine, you cannot access Universal Credit but you might qualify for some disability-related benefits and financial suppott. Your local JobCentre can advise you.

In addition to this, you should check whether your university has established a “twinning” programme with a UK institution. If this is the case, you may be able to swap your course to an online one with a UK university.