A GIRL who fled wartorn Ukraine has been offered a place at RGS Worcester with her big sister employed as a translator.
Twelve-year-old Mariia Lytovchenko will officially start at the private school in The Tything on Monday.
Big sister Polina Oliinyk will also be joining the school having been hired to work as a translator as she speaks both English and Ukrainian.
Miss Oliinyk said: "It is my first day today.
"Everyone has been so kind to me and my sister.
"I am very happy to be helping out here and to be helping others to be making connections within the community and with the people at RGS.
"I love the work that they are doing here to bring people together."
Miss Lytovchenko said that she really likes it in Worcester as everyone has been very kind and she is looking forward to starting at a school again on Monday.
Miss Oliinyk's first day at RGS Worcester saw her helping to translate conversations between Ukrainian refugees, host families and members of staff at the school as part of their first community welcome event.
The event was a huge success, with around 50 refugees and sponsors gathering for tea, cake and a chat.
The school welcomed any Ukrainian refugees and their host families to create a sense of community in the current times of crisis.
Alongside Miss Lytovchenko, RGS will be welcoming some other Ukrainian pupils into the school next week.
These pupils span a wide range of ages from prep school all the way up to Sixth Form.
RGS Headteacher John Pitt said running the community event every other Friday morning and taking some pupils into the school is a small way that RGS can support the Ukrainian community.
He has found that Ukrainian children have excellent IT and maths skills and are already picking up English quickly.
A couple attended who are hosting a lady who has come to England by herself.
They said: "We have a single lady, she has been with us for three weeks.
"She is very hard working.
"She has been taking English lessons at St Paul's and she loves it.
"She's been meeting a range of people there, not just from Ukraine, and it's really been helping her to learn the language."
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