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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Boarding School

Posted by Juliette Bellingall on 26/05/2006 - 05:33

The eldest of my 3 children decided he wanted to go to boarding school when faced with the prospect of starting his sixth school at the age of 9.

We found a school with good pastoral care and where boarding is central to the ethos of the school. I feel this is necessary to make the boarding school experience a positive one for the family. I have heard too many horror stories of service children unhappy because they are not kept busy enough at the weekends or there are not enough boarders in at the weekend. One friend's child ran away from school when she was living in Germany because he was so unhappy.

Unfortunately you have to pay over the Boarding School Allowance to find a school that meets these requirements. A state school, with a boarding house, which is the cheapest option, does not have the funding and the staff to put on the activities a private school can.

In our case there is a shortfall of £1000 term after BSA is paid. This shortfall rises in Senior schools. To put our 3 children through our preferred school, which is 10 miles from their grandparents, would cost us £160,000!

My 'choice' is to take on a huge financial commitment equivalent to a mortgage or live apart from my husband to give our children stability in their secondary school education.

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