An online forum on Educating Service Children run by the House of Commons Defence Committee

Service Families

We would like to hear your views on the quality of the education provided in Service schools abroad. The schools we saw in Germany were very good: is this true for all schools, for all ages? How about services for older children?

We have heard that Service families can experience problems when moving back to the UK, or to another place in the UK. In particular, we have heard that there can be problems in getting a school place if you do not have an address.

  • What has been your experience with Service Children’s Education schools abroad? How do you think they could be improved?
  • What has been your experience of moving schools, when transferring to and within the UK? How could this be improved?
  • We would also like to know of any other issues you think we should address. For example, what are the issues facing those who want to use boarding schools in the UK? Is the Boarding School Allowance adequate?

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schooling within UK

Posted by fionalyon on 11/05/2006 - 21:30

I have just entered into the school experience and have been disappointed that service families are treated less favourably because of their particular circumstances which not of their own making. There is little you can do when faced with a lack of address even if you are able to have some idea of a new posting. This means that you are often a late applicant and therefore have to get what everyone else chooses not to take up. When you have little choice as to where you live in service accomodation, it seems strange that you then have to travel,often by car as a local school place is not available.

In our instance, the lack of a place lead us to go for a school that the LEA then decided to close.

Families do their best to support their children within the service life. However, service children also deserve to have more support from the education system.

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