Being a parent and raising children is exciting and rewarding, but it can be tough at times for any family. The amount, patterns and types of parental absence faced by Naval Service families present additional challenges that are not routinely experienced by most civilian families.
To view, please click on the following link: https://nff.org.uk/non-operational-separations/
Moving around is a way of life for many Armed Forces families. It can often be exciting, but sometimes it can be difficult to find your feet in a new location. It can be unsettling for children and young people who are in education as they leave behind old classmates, make new friends and face a different curriculum or exam system.
This leaflet aims to help make the transition as easy as possible for families who are moving to Scotland, or who are already here but relocating to another part of the country. To view, please click on the following link: https://www.npfs.org.uk/2019/06/new-nutshell-launched-transitions-for-armed-forces-families/
The Scottish Government, Local Authorities and Schools are working hard to ensure that moving to Scotland has a positive effect on the educational outcomes of children from Armed Forces families. This website has been created in order to bring all these efforts together and put the resources that parents and the education professionals who support their children need, together in one place.
To view, please click on the following link https://forceschildrenseducation.org.uk/
Our leaflet aims to provide information for Armed Forces families about schools, early learning and childcare provision in the area, such as advice on the transition to the Scottish Education system, a detailed explanation of how our 3 – 18 education system works and how to identify their catchment school. It also provides a guide on how parents can enrol their child, even when they are awaiting allocation of service family accommodation.
To view, please click on the following link: https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/sites/default/files/welcome_pack_jan_2018.pdf
This section contains MoD Support resources for staff. Please click on one of the following links to access a resource, or read the text below for an overview of the Armed Forces context in Helensburgh and Lomond, and the MoD Education Support Fund.
For further information, please contact:
Emer Flett, Service Pupil Advisor
Tel: 01436 658921 | Email: emer.flett@argyll-bute.gov.uk | Facebook: Service Pupil Advisor Helensburgh & Lomond
Armed Forces Context within Helensburgh and Lomond
Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde, at Faslane, is a major local employer for both civilian and Service personnel and has a direct impact on the number of Service children currently enrolled within Helensburgh and Lomond Schools.
HMNB Clyde is home to the United Kingdom’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent and the Astute Class submarines. However, it is also the base port for the First Mine Countermeasure Squadron (MCM1), the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron (FPBS), the 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines and the Northern Diving Group (NDG). It also has significant numbers of Armed Forces personnel involved in training, engineering support, personnel support, administration and medical roles.
The ships, submarines and support organisations and their differing roles means that there is a constant cycle of, often unpredictable, deployment patterns. Depending upon the particular role being conducted, there can be times when contact between Service personnel and their families is extremely limited, often for extended periods.
Our Service children and young people often experience situations and challenges that their civilian counterparts may not. Particularly coping without a parent during deployments can have an impact upon children from Armed Forces families. Mobility within the Services may also mean that children change schools and geographical locations more frequently, adding extra pressures.
Education, from early years through to higher education, can provide the stability to help children and young people through these times.
MOD Education Support Fund
2011 saw the launch of the Ministry of Defence’s Education Support Fund. The Fund was £6m per annum until 2017/2018 and has been made available to assist publicly funded schools throughout the UK, to mitigate the effects of exceptional mobility or deployment of their Service communities, Regular and Reserves.
In light of the ongoing drawdown from Germany and to provide time for the educational authorities across the UK to bring in longer-term provision for Service children, the Secretary of State for Defence in July 2018 announced the extension of the ESF, on a limited basis, for an additional two years. The fund consisted of £3 million for 2018/2019 and £2 million will be available in 2019/2020.
