Ten top marks for Ukrainian refugee
A Ukrainian teenager who fled her war-torn country two years ago has been described as “an absolute joy”.
Olesia Yakovilieva came to Cramlington with her mother three months after the Russian invasion, leaving her father – a human rights lawyer – and university student sister at home in Kiev.
“At the start of the war there were a lot of bombs and artillery. So we could hear all that and in the first few weeks of the war we couldn’t go out of the house because a lot of Russians were on the street and there were tanks as well. There were barricades on the roads,” said the 16-year-old.
Although she could speak English, Olesia said her early weeks at Cramlington Learning Village (CLV) were difficult: “It was so hard to adapt because all the people were new to me and I didn’t how to fit in and talk to them.
“The subjects were very different. In Ukraine we studied lots of grammar but didn’t write many essays like here. It was hard getting used to that.”
But thorough a combination of her intelligence and hard work and the support of her new friends and teachers, Olesia has flourished.
She received five grade 9 GCSEs and five 8s. Although she is going to study Biology, Chemistry and Maths at A-Level, her results in English – Grade 9 for Language and an 8 for Literature – gave her the most pleasure.
“At the start of Year 10 I wasn’t doing well at all. I was doing my best but it wasn’t enough because in assessments I was getting 6s. So I’m so happy.”
After the Sixth Form at Cramlington Learning Village, Olesia hopes to study Medicine at Cambridge University and has already visited there.
It was safe enough for her and her mother to return to Kiev in the summer to be briefly re-united with her father, sister and grandparents. “We cried so much,” she said and does not know when they can all be back together again. “It really depends on what the situation there is like. Right now we can’t predict what’s going to happen. For a while I want to stay here and get the education here because I like studying in Britain. The education in Ukraine is also good, but in a different way and I prefer the British way.”
Her History teacher Deborah Wright said: “She has just been an absolute joy since she joined us. She gives her all in every subject.
“Olesia’s such a wonderful person. She helps everybody. She’s been such an asset to our school. We’re just so immensely proud of her and just can’t wait to see her progress to even greater heights. She’s an outstanding student.”
Staff at the school described the GCSE and BTEC results as “very pleasing”. Co-headteachers Jon Bird and Kim Irving said: “We are immensely proud of our students who have worked hard this year and achieved results they can be proud of.”
Among the many successes, twins Oliver and Harrison Craig between them received 14 Grade 9s and four 8s.
Both are staying on at the school to study the same subjects – Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Physics – at A-Level.
“We’ve been stuck to each other’s hip for our entire lives. We have similar interests and do similar things,” said Harrison. “Without the school being as it is, I wouldn’t have got anywhere near the grades I’ve got. It’s been really good.”