Moving to another country means more than a new home for a child – it also means a new school, a new language and a completely different set of rules. If your child has come from Ukraine or anywhere else and is starting at a Polish school, this guide explains how the system works, what rights foreign pupils have and how you can genuinely support them at home.
Enrolling at a Polish school: where to start
In Poland, compulsory schooling applies to foreign children too, on the same terms as to Polish children. Since 1 September 2024 this has also covered children who came from Ukraine after the outbreak of the war. An online Ukrainian school can be an extra, but it does not replace attendance at a Polish school.
The key points:
- Your catchment school must take your child. The state primary school for the area where you live admits a pupil automatically. You can apply to a different school if it has free places.
- The year group is set on the basis of documents – a school report or certificate from the previous school. The head teacher may also take into account the child’s age and the parent’s view.
- No documents? Your child can still start school. In that case the head holds an admission interview in a language the child speaks, with an interpreter if needed.
- You can enrol in the middle of the school year – go straight to the school office (sekretariat).
Important for families receiving the 800+ child benefit: for many foreign families, including Ukrainian citizens, the payment is suspended if the education information system does not confirm that the child is attending school as required.
What rights does a foreign pupil have?
From the 2026/2027 school year, the special arrangements that previously applied only to pupils from Ukraine have ended. Ukrainian pupils now have the same rights as all other foreign pupils. These come from Article 165 of the Education Law (Prawo oświatowe) and the regulation on educating non-Polish citizens.
Free extra Polish lessons
A child who does not speak Polish, or does not speak it well enough to learn, is entitled to free additional Polish lessons for up to 24 months. They take place at school, individually or in a group, for at least 2 lessons a week. If your child has already had such lessons, ask the school how many months they have left.
Catch-up classes in school subjects
If a teacher finds gaps caused by differences in the curriculum – in maths or biology, for example – the school organises additional catch-up classes (1 lesson a week per subject, for up to 12 months). Extra Polish and catch-up classes together may not exceed 5 lessons a week per pupil.
Help from someone who speaks your child’s language
A pupil is entitled to support from a person who speaks the language of their home country, employed as a teaching assistant – for up to 12 months. A school may also employ an intercultural assistant, who helps with contacts at school and works with parents. The latter is possible but not compulsory.
Preparatory class
The local authority running the school may set up a preparatory class (oddział przygotowawczy) – a class adapted to pupils with little Polish, with intensive language lessons. Not every school has one, so it is worth asking.
Adjusted requirements and exams
- Teachers are required to tailor their work to each pupil, and a child with adjustment difficulties linked to studying abroad can receive psychological and educational support.
- In the Year 8 exam (egzamin ósmoklasisty), a foreign pupil whose limited Polish makes reading comprehension difficult may – following a positive opinion from the teaching staff – sit an adapted Polish and maths paper, get extra time and use a bilingual dictionary.
Always confirm the details with the school – some forms of support depend on decisions by the head teacher and the local authority.
The 1–6 grading scale explained
In Years 1–3, mid-year and end-of-year assessments are descriptive. From Year 4, Polish schools use a numerical scale:
| Grade | Polish name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | celujący | outstanding, beyond the requirements |
| 5 | bardzo dobry | very good, full command of the material |
| 4 | dobry | good, solid knowledge with minor gaps |
| 3 | dostateczny | satisfactory, basics covered, noticeable gaps |
| 2 | dopuszczający | the minimum pass |
| 1 | niedostateczny | fail, material to be made up |
Note: grading systems differ from country to country (Ukraine uses a different scale, for instance), so a “3” is no reason to panic. For everyday marks, schools often add pluses and minuses (e.g. 4+) – the rules are set out in each school’s statute. In the first months, progress in Polish matters more than the grades themselves.
Talking to teachers: the e-register and parents’ evenings
Most Polish schools use an electronic register (e-dziennik) – usually Librus Synergia or Vulcan. The school gives parents their login (normally via the form tutor or the school office). In the e-register you will find:
- grades and teachers’ comments,
- attendance, plus the option to excuse absences,
- test dates and homework,
- messages from teachers and school announcements.
A few practical tips:
- Check the e-register regularly, e.g. every other day – short tests (kartkówki) and quizzes are often announced in advance.
- Keep messages to teachers short and to the point. Use an online translator, or ask whether the teacher can reply in English.
- Go to parents’ evenings and consultation hours, even if you don’t understand everything. The form tutor (wychowawca) is your most important ally.
How to help your child at home
- Daily contact with Polish: cartoons, audiobooks, board games, sports clubs or scouting with Polish children.
- A subject glossary: a notebook with key terms from maths, science or history in Polish and in your home language.
- A steady routine: a fixed time for homework and for rest gives a sense of security.
- Your home language is an asset, not an obstacle. Speak your own language at home – a strong first language makes learning a second one easier.
- Praise effort and progress, not just grades.
Emotions: adapting takes time
The first months can be hard: your child may be tired, withdrawn or irritable. This is a natural reaction to a huge change. Many children go through a “silent period” – they understand more and more but don’t yet dare to speak.
How to support them:
- talk about what was good and what was difficult each day,
- help them find at least one friend – invite a classmate home or to the playground,
- avoid comparing them with siblings or classmates.
If sadness, anxiety or reluctance to go to school last for weeks, talk to the school counsellor or psychologist (pedagog or psycholog szkolny). Children who have experienced war may need extra support – asking for help is a sign of care, not failure.
When tutoring makes sense
The school’s extra classes are a good start, but a minimum of 2 Polish lessons a week is often not enough to keep up in class quickly. Tutoring is worth considering when:
- your child understands everyday Polish but gets lost in subject language (such as maths word problems),
- the Year 8 exam or the matura is approaching,
- grades are falling despite effort, and the language barrier makes it hard for you to help,
- your child needs a teacher who can explain a difficult topic in their own language and then practise it in Polish.
FAQ: parents’ most common questions
Can a school refuse a child who doesn’t speak Polish?
No. The catchment primary school admits the child automatically, and not knowing the language is a reason to provide support, not to refuse a place.
Will my child be put in a lower year?
Not necessarily. The head teacher decides on the year group based on documents or an interview, taking into account the child’s age and the parent’s view, among other things.
Do the extra Polish lessons cost anything?
No – they are free, held at school and available for up to 24 months.
Can a child from Ukraine study only at an online Ukrainian school?
Children living in Poland who are of compulsory school age must attend a Polish school. An online Ukrainian school can only be a supplement.
Where can I check the current rules?
The most reliable sources are the Education Law in the ISAP legal database, the regulation on educating foreign pupils and the Central Examination Board’s information on the Year 8 exam (all in Polish).
How we can help
At Sowa we teach Polish as a foreign language to children and offer tutoring in school subjects – from maths to Year 8 exam preparation. Our teachers can explain the material in Ukrainian or Russian and then practise it with your child in Polish. Lessons are available in person in Warsaw and online.