ENGPechersk School International: quality education in a safe learning environment

What programmes does PSI offer?

Teaching at PSI is being delivered through three International Baccalaureate programmes: Primary Years Programme (for children aged 3–11), Middle Years Programme and Diploma programmes (for children aged 12–18). 

PSI is the only international school in Ukraine that has authorization to teach both international and Ukrainian curricula. The external Ukrainian programme is a part of an experimental project backed by the Ukrainian Education and Science Ministry. This enables students to graduate with two certificates: an internationally recognized IB diploma and a Ukrainian state certificate of complete secondary education. 

Students can also study online as part of PSI’s partnership with Avenues Online. This is a convenient option for those who cannot attend classes in person, and is available for students in grade 5 (aged 10–11) and above.

How does the school operate during the war?

In 2022–2023, Pechersk School International relocated to a temporary campus in Warsaw with the support of American School of Warsaw. With the help of Avenues Online, an online school, PSI also continued to offer online classes for students who remained in Ukraine, and those who were forced to flee to other countries. 

In August 2023, PSI will resume in-person learning in Kyiv. Everyone at PSI is doing their best to prepare for the next school year. Among other things, the school has a fully equipped bomb shelter, and a generator, allowing the school to be power independent. PSI’s key goal is to ensure a comfortable learning environment for its students regardless of any circumstances.

Who is part of PSI team and how is learning organized?

SI’s teaching staff body consists of highly qualified Ukrainian teachers, as well as overseas faculty members. The goal is to have 16 international teachers; some of those have been already recrutied and are from the US, UK, Australia, and a number of other countries. All of PSI teachers are top professionals who want to be in Ukraine and work with Ukrainian students despite the new and difficult circumstances shaped by the war. 

Learning at PSI is based on the individual approach. The daily schedule has time for self-study, projects, extracurricular activities as well as sports. Teachers build each subject’s curriculum around their students’ interests and inquiries.

PSI values diverse ideas and creative approaches to solving problems and challenges, and thus learning programmes are able to meet the needs of 21st-century students. The school aims to support its students in gaining new knowledge and habits that will help them develop critical thinking and self-reflection skills; PSI motivates its students to research and explore a variety of topics from local and global perspectives.

What’s PSI’s great goal?

PSI community has a great goal: to be part of Ukraine’s rebuilding phase. Teaching the next generation is an integral part of this mission, as it's these students who will be writing the next chapter of Ukraine’s history. 

“Pechersk School International is coming back home, to Kyiv. Families need schools like PSI because they offer a great community anchored in an exceptional learning programme. We want to be there to serve our society and contribute to the crucially important efforts to rebuild Ukraine,” - says Rachel Caldwell, PSI’s School Director. 

The school’s leadership believes that PSI is key to brining the attention of international organizations onto Ukraine. Back in Kyiv, its diverse community will support the growth and development of a strong and resilient Ukraine.