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Barney Results in Focus – Pavlo Dovgopolyi

A proud moment for Pavlo Dovgopolyi as he achieved A*ABC in his four A Levels just two years after being forced to leave his home country.

Pavlo has set his sights on attending University in Germany or Italy after securing his A-level results. But for Pavlo, the nerves of waiting for his grades was insignificant compared to his life before moving to the UK. 

Pavlo fled war-torn Ukraine in September 2022, just months after his home city in Kyiv was attacked by Russian forces. While he and his mother escaped to Latvia, the pair were forced to leave behind his father. 

An international education scholarship scheme gave him what he describes as ‘an unbelievable chance’ to restart his A-level studies in the UK and, for the last two years, has been a boarder here. 

While he is excited for his future he admits with some regret that funding difficulties means it’s unlikely he’ll be able to continue his UK education, having received conditional offers from Edinburgh and Exeter Universities.   

Speaking from Latvia, he said: “I’ve had an incredible time at Barnard Castle School and have made many new friends. I’ve learned so much about English life and the beautiful surroundings in the North of England.”

He admits: “At first it was very hard to settle. The opportunity for education in the UK was an unbelievable chance, but I missed home and was worried for my family and friends in Kyiv. Many of my friends had lost family in the fighting. Every day, wake and hope for better news. It felt less worrying being in the UK, but you think about your friends and your family every day. 

“Everybody at ‘Barney’ was very helpful, even if I did sometimes struggle with some strong northern and Scottish accents! The setting around Barnard Castle was very beautiful and very peaceful and I was able to visit places like Newcastle, Manchester and Harrogate.”

Tony Jackson, outgoing Headmaster at Barnard Castle School, said: “It has been an honour to have welcomed Pavlo to Barnard Castle. Given his justified concerns and distractions back home, he’s done wonderfully well to play a full part in school life since his arrival in September 2022.

“He’s participated in football and chess clubs and been an active member of our Combined Cadet Force too. It’s fair to say Pavlo has educated both pupils and staff alike and shows every positive aspect of a Barney student. 

“We wish him all the very best with his continued studies.”   

For more information about our international students offering, please visit: International – Barnard Castle School International boarding school information