An oak sapling has been planted in the grounds of a school in a moving ceremony last week to symbolise solidarity between refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine and those opening their hearts and homes to them in Islington.

The sapling was donated to Christ The King Catholic Primary School by Yulia, whose five-year-old son Nikita joined the school in April, one of 50 children to have been enrolled in the borough’s primary and secondary schools since the start of the conflict.

At Christ The King, families have donated uniforms, clothing, toys and a bed, a parent created a welcome banner for the school foyer, while the school brokered supermarket vouchers and school uniform donations from their supplier, gave the pupils laptops to support their learning and ordered dual-language books for its library.

In school, pupils have learned Ukrainian phrases to welcome the three children, who have started making friends and settling in. A fourth child will also join them shortly.

John Lane, the school’s executive headteacher, said: “The donation of an oak tree was such a thoughtful gesture from one of our new Ukrainian families.”