Ukrainian refugees who have recently arrived in Dorset have been able to take advantage of a free-five-day English course offered by Bournemouth & Poole College.

The new students were welcomed to the college’s Lansdowne campus where they are studying the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course, which is aimed at beginners with minimal English skills. It covers essential communication skills including reading, writing, listening, and spelling to help with conversations, form filling and an introduction to life in the UK. It is hoped the course will help the students feel more at ease and less isolated.

ESOL Learning Manager at Bournemouth & Poole College, Vanessa McMullen, said: “We are aiming to provide as much support as possible for those who have been forced to leave Ukraine and who want to make the most of the educational opportunities on offer here. We’re pleased to welcome our first group of Ukrainian refugees onto our free ESOL course, and it is vitally important to our whole team that we do what we can.

“It is hoped that learning these skills will make it easier for non-native English speakers to fully integrate and settle in the UK. We can guarantee a warm welcome for the students, and we’re delighted that students are saying our application and enrolment process is helpful and friendly.”

As well as the ESOL course, Ukrainian students over the age of 16 have the opportunity to study at the college from this September.

People interested in the ESOL course can email esol@bpc.ac.uk for more information and to enrol.