Year 13 pupils were privileged to hear from Ukrainian lawyer Maria Pryzyhlei, who delivered a powerful enrichment talk on the humanitarian consequences of the Ukraine–Russia conflict.

Drawing on her expertise and lived perspective, Maria spoke with knowledge, passion, and honesty about the reality of daily life for ordinary people caught in the war. She illustrated the scale of the crisis through a compelling presentation, showing:

• The advancement of Russian forces into Ukraine
• The size of Ukraine, and how it compares to regions across Europe and the UK
• The profound human impact — from displacement and loss to the resilience of communities.

The session challenged pupils to engage and think about the impact of invasion and war with issues of everyday life, education, social interaction and food supplies being disrupted. Our pupils showed great empathy and understanding to those affected.

This talk is part of our ongoing Sixth Form Enrichment Programme, designed to bring global issues into the classroom, broaden perspectives, and deepen the academic and human context of our pupils’ learning.