16-year-old Ukrainian Crawley Town Community Foundation player achieves success in his GCSEs

Yaroslav Tsyhanenko, who has been living with his uncle in Forge Wood, fled the city of Sumy in April 2022 whilst his mother and father still live in the country. Due to the Leave to Remain Ukraine scheme, he is able to stay in the UK until the end of 2024. Whilst he was in Ukraine he played football for OLISP Barsa in Sumy.

Yaro attended the Gatwick School for the last two months of the 2021-22 Academic term but was placed in year 10 rather than 11 to give him another year studying GCSE, so was unable to sit them in that summer.

He attended the Foundation’s under 16s Elite team sessions at the back end of the 2021-22 season with Elite and Development Centre Coordinator Jacob Magnus, introducing him to the Head of Education department Holly Walker.

Yaro was determined not to be behind a year and joined their BTEC level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport (three A-level equivalence) programme alongside English Language and Maths GCSEs.

He has been attending Holy Trinity School Sixth Form for his English Language and Maths GCSEs since the beginning of this academic term. Yaro sat the exams in November receiving Grade 5 in both subjects and has achieved a Merit grade in both BTEC assignments this term.

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Education Academy Manager, Holly Walker said: “He has been granted international clearance and since has been a regular starting Centre-Back for Crawley Town in the National Football Youth League South Reserves side.”