Select committee inquiry
Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Educating Service Personnel Children
Closed
What the inquiry looked at
“Terms of Reference Guidance on submitting written evidence to a Defence Committee inquiry”
The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.
What the government said
4th Report - The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel - Volume II (Volume II Additional written evidence)
No government response is linked to this report.
4th Report - The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel - Volume I (Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence)
The government responded on 29 October 2013.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response.
The Government welcomes the Committee's inquiry and reports changes and continuing work on Service children's education, while it "would suggest that the issue is one of complexity rather than conflict" in delivering the Armed Forces Covenant.
- On school places, it reports changes to the School Admissions Code, and says the MoD will continue to work with the DfE to monitor their effectiveness, including "identifying potential improvements".
- On pupil records, it says the Pupil Information Profile for Service Children "should be available to schools from Autumn 2013" and can include details of Special Educational Needs.
- On the Service Pupil Premium, it states that "Schools are best placed to decide how to use the SPP". On the Support Fund, the MoD "is looking at the feasibility" of extending it for a further four years.
- On Continuity of Education Allowance, it says it "cannot rule out any further future changes" to the regulations, though no further fundamental changes to policy "are currently planned".
Read the government's response ↗ Read the report ↗ Report an error
How the inquiry ran
Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 10 December 2012 to its close on 30 March 2015.
- Report 2 reports
- Government response 29 Oct 2013
What it recommended 25 recommendations · 91 conclusions
1We note the MoD’s commitment to maintaining high standards in SCE schools.
Concluded (the committee's words)
We note the MoD’s commitment to maintaining high standards in SCE schools. We are satisfied that the procedures in place, including Ofsted inspections, ensure the standard of teaching in schools attended by Service children is at least ‘good’, or that where weaknesses are identified they are addressed.
2It is encouraging to note that Service children’s progress is broadly in line with other...
Recommended (the committee's words)
It is encouraging to note that Service children’s progress is broadly in line with other pupils even though they face considerable challenges. However, mobile Service children do not perform as well as non-mobile Service children. With greater recognition of their needs and focused additional support, Service children could do even better. The Government should ensure that these children are given every opportunity to maximise their potential.
3The nature of Service life means that families have to be mobile if they are...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The nature of Service life means that families have to be mobile if they are to accompany the Service parent. That moves can be made at short notice, or during term-time, means that parents may not have time to research the schools in the area, and may not get a place in their preferred school, as places in high performing schools are unlikely to be available either at short notice or part way through the school year. It is clear that there is a contradiction at the heart of the Covenant, in that Service families’ mobility makes it difficult for parents to get places in the schools of their choice. The timescale for the implementation of the New Employment Model will not help those children currently in education. The MoD needs to consider further how it can assist parents to gain access to their preferred choice of schools.
4The Government should explain how it intends to resolve the conflict between the Armed Forces...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should explain how it intends to resolve the conflict between the Armed Forces Covenant, which says that Service children may need special arrangements to access school places, and the Schools Admissions Code which sets out a strict timetable for admissions, to ensure that Service families can access the schools of their choice when they need them.
5Availability of school places will be a significant issue as large numbers of Service families...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Availability of school places will be a significant issue as large numbers of Service families are re-located as a result of re-basing and the withdrawal from Germany. We seek reassurance that there will be sufficient places for the children moving as part of major re-basing moves and the withdrawal from Germany. The Ministry of Defence must provide information promptly to allow the Department for Education to liaise with Local Authorities and the Devolved Administrations to ensure that the right 4 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the children of service personnel number of places and adequate funding will be provided in advance of major moves.
6Schools with significant numbers of Service children on their roll experience additional challenges, including a...
Recommended (the committee's words)
Schools with significant numbers of Service children on their roll experience additional challenges, including a lack of the appropriate level of funding throughout the school year and difficulties caused by high levels of admissions through the school year. The Government should work with Local Authorities to ensure that appropriate funding is available. Where there is competition for places between Service children and the resident population, and both have equal merit, we question who will provide the funding for additional school places. One option may be for the Ministry of Defence to fund additional buildings, if needed, and the Local Education Authority to pay for staff and on-going maintenance costs.
7While we acknowledge the challenges facing Service children we must not forget the advantages of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
While we acknowledge the challenges facing Service children we must not forget the advantages of Service life for children of Service families.
8The lack of clarity about the number of Service children with Special Educational Needs is...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The lack of clarity about the number of Service children with Special Educational Needs is disturbing. The Ministry of Defence and the Department of Education should liaise with the Devolved Administrations to establish how many Service children have Special Educational Needs across the UK so that the scale of the problem is known.
9Service children with Special Educational Needs are spread across the English local authorities, the Devolved...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Service children with Special Educational Needs are spread across the English local authorities, the Devolved Administrations and SCE schools overseas. The number in any one local authority or administration is likely to be small. We consider that, with the will and support of Government and engagement with the Devolved Administrations, it must be possible to make things easier for those families in this difficult situation. It is unacceptable that no progress has been made on our predecessor Committee’s 2006 recommendation that Service children with a Special Educational Needs should be given a statement which would be accepted by all schools. We welcome the Minister’s commitment to resolving the issue, and expect to see prompt action.
10The Children and Families Bill has no specific clauses relating to the needs of those...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Children and Families Bill has no specific clauses relating to the needs of those children of Service personnel who have Special Educational Needs. It is disappointing that the Government has not taken this opportunity to incorporate the commitments made in the Armed Forces Covenant into this new legislation. However, we hope that the provisions of this Bill will ease some of the difficulties faced by Service families who have children with Special Educational Needs.
11We urge the Government to work with local authorities and the Devolved Administrations to reach...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We urge the Government to work with local authorities and the Devolved Administrations to reach agreement that Service children’s SEN statements are recognised by all, without exception, across the UK, demonstrating the country’s ‘moral obligation’ to this very small number of children and their families, who deserve our full support.
12We are dismayed that no appreciable progress has been made on the transfer of pupils’...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We are dismayed that no appreciable progress has been made on the transfer of pupils’ records since our predecessors’ 2006 report. Service children and their families deserve better. Only now is work being undertaken to develop a Service children’s transition document. We are pleased that the Devolved Administrations are broadly supportive of a common approach to the transfer of information. We recommend that the Government liaise with the Devolved Administrations, local authorities and others to reach a UK-wide agreement on a transfer document for Service children and a process for ensuring it is used, to resolve this issue once and for all.
13We recognise that as a result of mobility children encounter difficulties in the consistency of...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We recognise that as a result of mobility children encounter difficulties in the consistency of their education. When moving mid-year pupils can repeat topics, for example. Evidence also suggests some children may not be academically stretched as much as they should be. We recommend that under the New Employment Model, Future Army 2020, and Future Force 2020, the MoD undertakes to minimise, as far as possible, moves during the school year, and restricts, wherever possible, the movement of whole units to an appropriate time in the academic year.
14Maintaining continuity in their children’s education is a major concern for parents.
Concluded (the committee's words)
Maintaining continuity in their children’s education is a major concern for parents. We support the principle of paying CEA to those families who choose to send their children to boarding school to provide continuity. The MoD should clarify the rules on CEA and reassure Service personnel that entitlement to CEA is not under further review and will not change at short notice.
15The Ministry of Defence should ensure that all Service personnel are aware of the availability...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Ministry of Defence should ensure that all Service personnel are aware of the availability of the Continuation of Education Allowance. It should also advertise more effectively the existence of the state boarding schools.
16The safety and well-being of children is paramount and the rules should not hinder movement...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The safety and well-being of children is paramount and the rules should not hinder movement of pupils in cases where, for example, there have been suggestions of abuse. The MoD should clarify the rules on CEA and its role in the decision-making process when parents wish to move their children to another school during a key 6 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the children of service personnel stage of education. We recommend that in principle the MoD should be more prepared to leave to parents the difficult judgement of when to move a child; while it is axiomatic that a “Continuity of Education Allowance” is designed to provide continuity, the name of the allowance should not be a major barrier to the parents deciding what is best for their child.
17We support the payment of the Service Pupil Premium to support Service children.
Recommended (the committee's words)
We support the payment of the Service Pupil Premium to support Service children. However, we are not convinced that this expenditure is adequately monitored for value for money for the taxpayer, and to ensure that it is used to the best possible advantage to the Service children themselves. The Government should introduce guidelines on how the Service Pupil Premium should be spent. It should also require schools to make more transparent how this money is spent. The Government should monitor and publish this information and share examples of best practice.
18Ofsted should be asked to report in more detail on the results achieved by use...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Ofsted should be asked to report in more detail on the results achieved by use of the Service Pupil Premium to ensure that the funding is meeting the particular needs of Service children. The DfE and the MoD should also report on the overall level of expenditure on the Service Pupil Premium.
19The anomalies in the payment of a Service Pupil Premium across the Devolved Administrations indicates...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The anomalies in the payment of a Service Pupil Premium across the Devolved Administrations indicates a contradiction between the Armed Forces Covenant and the practice across the UK. The Government should liaise with the Devolved Administrations to encourage the same level of support for all Service children across the UK in line with the Covenant. In its response to this report the Government should set out why the Service Pupil Premium can at the same time represent good value for money in those areas which have it and be unnecessary in those areas which do not.
20We are concerned that the introduction of the Service Pupil Premium has replaced other forms...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We are concerned that the introduction of the Service Pupil Premium has replaced other forms of funding, so that schools with a significant number of Service children may not benefit as much as was intended. The Government should ensure that Local Authorities do not use the Service Pupil Premium to replace other funding.
21The Government should publish figures showing the distribution of the Support Fund for Schools across...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should publish figures showing the distribution of the Support Fund for Schools across all parts of the UK, and encourage applications from Welsh schools to ensure all regions get their fair share.
22The Government should publish details of the ways in which the Support Fund for Schools...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should publish details of the ways in which the Support Fund for Schools money is spent in support of Service children, and give examples of good practice so that best use is made of this limited resource. We agree with the Scottish Government, that the Government should maintain this Fund after the planned four years to provide pastoral and other support to individual schools where needed. The The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 7 need will rise as significant numbers of Service children move during re-basing and the withdrawal from Germany.
23We are reassured that a range of funding is available to support the education of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We are reassured that a range of funding is available to support the education of children of a parent killed in the service of their country, though such payments need to be made promptly to avoid unnecessary hardship or worry for bereaved families.
24We support the aims of the Armed Forces Covenant, in that: Children of members of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We support the aims of the Armed Forces Covenant, in that: Children of members of the Armed Forces should have the same standard of, and access to, education (including early years services) as any other UK citizen in the area in which they live.
25In this inquiry, we have identified that the mobility required of Armed Forces personnel means...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In this inquiry, we have identified that the mobility required of Armed Forces personnel means their children face considerable challenges in achieving the same access to education as the rest of the UK population. During the inquiry it has also become clear that in order to meet the obligations made in the Armed Forces Covenant, the Government is dependent on the voluntary agreement of the numerous bodies who all play a part in providing education for the children of Service personnel.
26In our view there is a conflict at the heart of the Armed Forces Covenant...
Recommended (the committee's words)
In our view there is a conflict at the heart of the Armed Forces Covenant because the Government is dependent on the commitment of those who provide education services—Government Departments, Local Authorities and the devolved administrations—offering the same provision to all Service families wherever they live in the UK. The Government must demonstrate its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant by seeking the co-operation of the Devolved Administrations and Local Authorities to ensure that its obligations are met.
27The nature of Service life means that families have to be mobile if they are...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The nature of Service life means that families have to be mobile if they are to accompany the Service parent. That moves can be made at short notice, or during term- time, means that parents may not have time to research the schools in the area, and may not get a place in their preferred school, as places in high performing schools are unlikely to be available either at short notice or part way through the school year. It is clear that there is a contradiction at the heart of the Covenant, in that Service families’ mobility makes it difficult for parents to get places in the schools of their choice. The timescale for the implementation of the New Employment Model will not help those children currently in education. The MoD needs to consider further how it can assist parents to gain access to their preferred choice of schools. Conflict with the School Admissions Code
28The Armed Forces Covenant says that Service families should have special arrangements to support their...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Armed Forces Covenant says that Service families should have special arrangements to support their access to schools if necessary. The Schools Admissions Code, the statutory guidance from the DfE, details the arrangements for admission to 41 Q 364 42 Ev 84 43 The Armed Forces Covenant www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/49469/the_armed_forces_covenant.pdf 44 Q 22 20 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel schools to ensure fairness, including the timings for application and offers.45 The Code, which has the force of law, says that school places must be allocated and offered in an open and fair way.46 The Armed Forces Covenant and the Schools Admissions Code appear to be in conflict with each other.
29The Schools Admission Code requires that applications for school places have to be made in...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Schools Admission Code requires that applications for school places have to be made in October for secondary school and January for primary school, and places are allocated in March for secondary schools and April for primary schools.47 It is often the case that schools perceived to be the best are oversubscribed, so will not carry any vacancies.
30The Schools Standards and Framework Act of 1998 limited the size of infant classes to...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Schools Standards and Framework Act of 1998 limited the size of infant classes to 30 pupils per teacher. Amendments to the Act in 2012 permitted children to be admitted as exceptions to this infant class size limit.48 The Schools Admission Code says: Infant classes (those where the majority of children will reach the age of 5, 6 or 7 during the school year) must not contain more than 30 pupils with a single school teacher. Additional children may be admitted under limited exceptional circumstances. These children will remain an ‘excepted pupil’ for the time they are in an infant class or until the class numbers fall back to the current infant class size limit. The excepted children include children with SEN, looked after children, children admitted after an appeal, children who move into the are outside the normal admissions round for whom there is no other suitable school place, twins, and: children of UK service personnel admitted outside the normal admissions round.49 However, we heard that this exception can cause problems. Susan Raeburn, a primary school head, said: [...] the agreed number in each year group for me is 38. [...] It is a number that I legally have to stick to, so until I have 38 in a particular year group I can’t say I am full, but it doesn’t work like that with forces schools. I have one year group that only has 11 children in it, I have another year group with 42 children in it, so it is not the same amount in each year group, so you are trying to constantly juggle[...] I have really high numbers in my classes at the moment.50 and 45 Department for Education, The Schools Admission Code 2012, 1 February 2012 http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00213254/school-admissions-code-2012 46 Ibid, para 12 http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/school%20admissions%20code%201%20february%202012.pdf 47 Ibid 48 The School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/10) 49 Department for Education, The Schools Admission Code 2012, 1 February 2012 http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00213254/school-admissions-code-2012 para 2.18 50 Q 353 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 21 Under the new regulations since September it is saying that we don’t have to limit at
31The Government should explain how it intends to resolve the conflict between the Armed Forces...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should explain how it intends to resolve the conflict between the Armed Forces Covenant, which says that Service children may need special arrangements to access school places, and the Schools Admissions Code which sets out a strict timetable for admissions, to ensure that Service families can access the schools of their choice when they need them. Funding of school places Pupils moving mid-school year
32At our evidence session at the Wellington Academy, head teachers of schools with a large...
Concluded (the committee's words)
At our evidence session at the Wellington Academy, head teachers of schools with a large Service population told us about difficulties they experience with funding. Schools are allocated their funding once a year, the allocation is based on the numbers of pupils on the school roll one day in the first term. Susan Raeburn said: The count has been brought back further even. It is 4 October 2012 for funding. If a child turned up at school on 5 October, you are educating them for 18 months with no money for them and it is just not on, really. It is just difficult.52
33No account is taken of additional pupils joining the school later in the year, or...
Concluded (the committee's words)
No account is taken of additional pupils joining the school later in the year, or the additional demands a high turnover of pupils cause for staff in schools with a mobile population. We heard from these head teachers that the school roll can increase significantly during the school year. Susan Raeburn said that three or four pupils had joined her school every week since the start of term.53 She said: I think my biggest barrier to offering a top education is finances because we have a constantly rising roll. Currently 50% of the pupils in my school have no funding attached to them. You do your census on one particular day of the year; however many you have in your school on that day is what determines your finances. I am struggling to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear at the moment, simply because by my reckoning I am about £150,000 down on funding, and I am having to just try to stretch what I have. So it is very difficult to provide a top education without funding, from my point of view.54 Andy Schofield, Principal of the Wellington Academy, said: 51 Q 354 52 Q 316 53 Q340 54 Q 270 22 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel We do have new students almost every week. It dries up a little bit as they get older, GCSE and A-Level. We try to limit it to certain weeks, but if we allowed people to come in as and when they applied, we would have people every week.55
34The problem is exacerbated if significant numbers of Service families move at the same time.
Concluded (the committee's words)
The problem is exacerbated if significant numbers of Service families move at the same time. Susan Raeburn said it was difficult when a whole regiment was moving on or out at the wrong time.56 The situation is more difficult still if a child with Special Educational Needs joins the school. Susan Raeburn said: If that child was not in your school when the census happened, so if they have got a statement and they need 30 hours a week one-to-one support and they happen to not be in your school on that day, you have to fund that until the next census comes around and then six months later the new financial year kicks in, because they were not in your school. When I say, “I have no money to support this pupil”, “Oh, it is in your budget.” No, it is not, because the pupil was not on my census. So I have this continually. They will just say, “We have no money. We can’t help you”.57 The movement of large numbers of families
35Martin Bull said the DfE was planning for the move of significant number of Service...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Martin Bull said the DfE was planning for the move of significant number of Service pupils, in advance of the withdrawal of forces from Germany: Two years ahead the local authorities know the number of children we expect to be in a particular local authority in a particular cohort. Of course, because we have new children coming, we are going to go back and have a look at what we provided for those local authorities, and see whether we can provide additional funding to help them with high mobility numbers, using the numbers that we have just found out are coming over from Germany back to England. We do this by writing to the local authorities and speaking to the funding teams. Our individual teams, which work on admissions, funding and all the other areas, speak to the local authority contacts to make sure that everybody is very informed about the numbers arriving.58
36We are concerned about what will happen when the re-basing programme commences and withdrawal from...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We are concerned about what will happen when the re-basing programme commences and withdrawal from Germany gathers pace. These movements could lead to a greater concentration of Service children in some areas, for example Salisbury Plain, leading to additional pressure on local schools. The MoD said that it prepared for large scale moves of Service pupils by generating accurate figures for the DfE in advance of moves from Germany back to the UK.59 Martin Bull said: The important thing that we need to remember is that we have children who are coming between 2013 and 2017. What we have done is that the DFE has worked with [...]Service Children’s Education, and we have looked at the number of children in primary and secondary school and what year they are coming back to England. We 55 Q 342 56 Q 313 57 Q 332 58 Q 376 59 Q 360 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 23 have then identified the local authorities that they are going to be coming to. Yesterday I spoke to the Minister, Elizabeth Truss, and she has agreed a set of actions, which will include writing to those local authorities to alert them in advance of the number of children we expect to return, and to try to work out ways in which we can support them through pupil funding in the years to come.60 Olivia Denson, from the CEAS, confirmed they have had similar discussions with the Devolved Administrations: Yes, those conversations do take place, and they take place across the border as well, with Scotland, where there will be some changes. Yes, we do have those conversations to assist and support in the planning in those areas as well. [...] And in Wales.61
37Availability of school places will be a significant issue as large numbers of Service families...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Availability of school places will be a significant issue as large numbers of Service families are re-located as a result of re-basing and the withdrawal from Germany. We seek reassurance that there will be sufficient places for the children moving as part of major re-basing moves and the withdrawal from Germany. The Ministry of Defence must provide information promptly to allow the Department for Education to liaise with Local Authorities and the Devolved Administrations to ensure that the right number of places and adequate funding will be provided in advance of major moves.
38Schools with significant numbers of Service children on their roll experience additional challenges, including a...
Recommended (the committee's words)
Schools with significant numbers of Service children on their roll experience additional challenges, including a lack of the appropriate level of funding throughout the school year and difficulties caused by high levels of admissions through the school year. The Government should work with Local Authorities to ensure that appropriate funding is available. Where there is competition for places between Service children and the resident population, and both have equal merit, we question who will provide the funding for additional school places. One option may be for the Ministry of Defence to fund additional buildings, if needed, and the Local Education Authority to pay for staff and on-going maintenance costs. Advantages of Service life
39We heard extensive evidence of the disadvantages of Service life for children, but it must...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We heard extensive evidence of the disadvantages of Service life for children, but it must be noted that some witnesses drew attention to the advantages of this life. Students who gave evidence at the Wellington Academy said: I have enjoyed it. I love living around the army. I love being an army family.62 I think I found it pretty easy, [...] because I had older brothers and they would always look out me, so I found it normal. I didn’t really care because I liked moving away, going to see new things, new houses and new people, meeting new friends. I have always liked that.63 60 Q 373 61 Qq378-379 62 Q 122 63 Q 129 24 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel You are able to learn languages differently. In Germany, I was immersed in the language so I was able to pick up on it a bit easier. In Cyprus, I started learning Greek, which is a new experience, which is quite nice.64 Susan Raeburn said: I have got an amazing school. I have about 40% EAL [English as an Additional Language] pupils. We have absolutely fantastic cultural diversity weeks that are just probably one of the best things about the school. We are very lucky and the children are great salt of the earth kids. A lot of them who come to us have all sorts of amazing experiences and just a lot of life, a lot of energy, and I see it as a very positive place to work. I have worked with Service children for 11 years now so I feel very comfortable with it.65 A Service pupil’s response to the Army Families Federation Annual survey of the opinions of families was: Forces education allowed me to develop my personality, and to become independent. The mixture of children and the constant changes of location, etc., made me adaptable. The places we lived gave me another kind of education, making me tolerant and understanding. I think, if you’re intelligent, the changing of schools doesn't hurt—if you need a bit of ‘help’, it can be a problem.66
40While we acknowledge the challenges facing Service children we must not forget the advantages of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
While we acknowledge the challenges facing Service children we must not forget the advantages of Service life for children of Service families. Service children with Special Educational Needs
41It is unclear how many Service children in the UK have Special Educational Needs (SEN)...
Concluded (the committee's words)
It is unclear how many Service children in the UK have Special Educational Needs (SEN) or have been formally assessed as to their needs and the educational resources to meet those needs—a Statement. The MoD provided figures on the current number of Service children with SEN in Table 1. 64 Q 139 65 Q 283 66 Ev w9 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 25 Table 1: The current number of Service children with Special Educational Needs Service Number of children Army 1545 Royal Air Force 435 Royal Marines 32 Royal Navy 216 Civil Service 32 Total 2260 Notes: (a) Of these some 850 have Local Authority (LA) statements and of them 14 have joint funding agreements to enable them to attend specialist boarding schools. (b) Our records show that there are 34 LAs who have statemented children on our register (although some remedial work needs to be done on this as not all children with statements indicate which LA has produced it. The information will be on the file, but this will involve checking some 700 files)67 Source: Ministry of Defence
42Martin Bull said that the SCE had a database of children with SEN of some...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Martin Bull said that the SCE had a database of children with SEN of some 2,000 children.68 The MoD told us: The figure of 2000 reflected only those registered with CEAS; RN and RAF parents are not required to register their children, and some Army parents elect not to do so. CEAS/SCE track SEN numbers accurately overseas, where MOD has statutory responsibility for doing so, but within the UK this responsibility remains with the DfE and devolved equivalents. The most recent DfE Census identified 925 Service Children registered with a statement (1.6 per cent of the total number of Service Children), and a further 7,240 with SEN but without a statement (11.2 per cent of the total number of Service Children).69 The range of figures provided suggest that the number of Service children with Special Educational Needs is somewhere between 2,260 and 8,165 (925 with a statement and 7,240 with SEN but without a statement).
43The lack of clarity about the number of Service children with Special Educational Needs is...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The lack of clarity about the number of Service children with Special Educational Needs is disturbing. The Ministry of Defence and the Department of Education should liaise with the Devolved Administrations to establish how many Service children have Special Educational Needs across the UK so that the scale of the problem is known.
44In its 2006 Report, our predecessor Committee identified a number of difficulties that Service children...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In its 2006 Report, our predecessor Committee identified a number of difficulties that Service children with Special Educational Needs and their families faced, including delays in getting children assessed by an educational psychologist for Statementing purposes and the consequent delays in the provision of support to those children. It recommended that the DfES and the MoD consider introducing, as a priority, a system whereby Service children with Special Needs are given a Statement of educational needs which can be taken with them as they move between schools, and is accepted by schools as the 67 Ev 77 68 Q 475 69 Ev 86 26 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel basis for support which they will provide. The Statement should be time-limited and reviewed regularly.
45Our predecessor Committee also recommended that the feasibility of a ‘statementing passport’ for Service children...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Our predecessor Committee also recommended that the feasibility of a ‘statementing passport’ for Service children with special needs be explored.70 In a 2011 report on Children in Service Families, Ofsted drew on our 2006 report and identified similar shortcomings in provision in schools and local authorities in England, noting particular difficulties with the transfer of statements of Special Education Needs.71 Ofsted told us: For children with special needs, the continuity of provision for their needs may be broken and their progress slows. These children are particularly susceptible to anxiety in this context.72
46Evidence provided by parents to our on-line survey confirmed that the transfer of information for...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Evidence provided by parents to our on-line survey confirmed that the transfer of information for children with SEN is still a problem: Respondents also commented on schools sometimes failing to properly assess children upon arrival in their new school. This was particularly worrying for parents of gifted children or those with special educational needs: That it always takes so long for the school to get organised with ability levels and when we moved this time it took 10 weeks before the school helped my daughter who is query dyslexic. During reading time she had to sit in a corner and draw bunnies. School said this was because it took so long to learn about new children. Service parent, Army73
47In written evidence submitted on behalf of Service Families, the Army Families Federation told us...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In written evidence submitted on behalf of Service Families, the Army Families Federation told us that, for those families choosing not to use the CEA (Continuity of Education Allowance) system to help deal with their child’s SEN, the effect of mobility on an SEN child can be more severe. Comments on the problems of moving a child with SEN are given in Box 2 below. Box 2: The difficulties of moving a child with Special Educational Needs Life is difficult enough when you have children who find just existing in the world a difficult task. Adding extra stress to the family trying to sort out support for your children, in addition to separated and operational tours is not good for anyone. There has to be some way of Service children having an SEN Passport of some sort that can move from LA to LA and at least give a starting point. The last thing our children need is gaps in their provision. Moving will almost certainly cause some regression in their learning patterns and ability to cope with life and stopping provision altogether or changing it significantly will not help. Usually we as parents have already fought hard to put provision in place, we know that it works for our children and we don’t need someone else saying... ‘We have to re-assess before you can have that provision again. We are moving to Dorset. One of our children has SEN. We have fifteen hours on the current statement but Dorset LA has said that a child needs twenty hours to qualify for support. 70 Defence Committee, Eleventh Report of Session 2005-06, Educating Service Children, HC 1054 71 Ofsted, Children in Service families, May 2011, page 5 72 Ev 91 73 National Audit Office, The education of Service children: findings of an National Audit Office consultation, April 2013 para 2 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/941/naopart3.pdf The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 27 Frequent moves have meant that my son (who is in Year 6) has possibly slipped through the net, as he is currently awaiting diagnosis for Asperger Syndrome. If there had not been so many school moves, we feel this could have been diagnosed sooner. When he has entered a new school, and we have had issues, it has been blamed on the changes or his dad’s occupation. Source: Army Families Federation74
48The MoD and DfE told us that they were still looking at the issue of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD and DfE told us that they were still looking at the issue of transfer for England.75 The Devolved Administrations have their own systems for dealing with SEN children. The MoD said that regional representatives from CEAS were engaging with the Devolved Administrations.76 We are dismayed that there has been no appreciable progress on the provision of a Special Needs transfer document since the recommendation in 2006. The Minister said: Clearly, the Department has not made fast enough progress on this matter, but I will look you right in the eye and tell you that we are going to make some progress on it now.77
49Service children with Special Educational Needs are spread across the English local authorities, the Devolved...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Service children with Special Educational Needs are spread across the English local authorities, the Devolved Administrations and SCE schools overseas. The number in any one local authority or administration is likely to be small. We consider that, with the will and support of Government and engagement with the Devolved Administrations, it must be possible to make things easier for those families in this difficult situation. It is unacceptable that no progress has been made on our predecessor Committee’s 2006 recommendation that Service children with a Special Educational Needs should be given a statement which would be accepted by all schools. We welcome the Minister’s commitment to resolving the issue, and expect to see prompt action. Children and Families Bill
50The Children and Families Bill in the 2013-14 session of parliament amends legislation relating to...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Children and Families Bill in the 2013-14 session of parliament amends legislation relating to children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN). The Bill makes provision for identifying children and young people with SEN and assessing their needs. The Bill requires local authorities to have regard to the wishes of the child and their parents, and to enable them to participate in as fully informed way as possible in decision- making, with a focus on achieving the best possible educational and other outcomes.78 The Bill requires a local authority to prepare a personal budget if asked to do so for a child or young person for whom it maintains an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan or for whom it has decided to make a Plan.79 The provisions extend to England and Wales, but most of the provisions will operate mainly or exclusively in England. 74 Ev w4 75 Qq 475–476 76 Q 475 77 Q 476 78 Children and Families Bill, [Bill 32 (2013-14)] 79 Ibid 28 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel
51The Children and Families Bill has no specific clauses relating to the needs of those...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Children and Families Bill has no specific clauses relating to the needs of those children of Service personnel who have Special Educational Needs. It is disappointing that the Government has not taken this opportunity to incorporate the commitments made in the Armed Forces Covenant into this new legislation. However, we hope that the provisions of this Bill will ease some of the difficulties faced by Service families who have children with Special Educational Needs. Devolved Administrations
52We were encouraged by the Devolved Administrations’ responses to our request for information about Service...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We were encouraged by the Devolved Administrations’ responses to our request for information about Service children with Special Educational Needs. The Welsh Government told us: In discussion with the Department for Education we have offered to address the issue of Service children with special needs moving to Wales when we revise our Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Our intention is to ensure that Welsh local authorities use the information in the Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan to inform any assessment of a child’s needs. In practical terms a local authority in Wales may be advised in the Code that before an assessment takes place they are to look at the educational element of the EHC plan and agree the educational provision unless they have a very good reason to suspect that it cannot be provided, or is unsuitable.80 The Northern Ireland Executive told us: Although Statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN) are not transferrable between jurisdictions, where a child has a statement, schools and the ELBs can take cognizance of this whilst a statutory assessment is undertaken.81 The Scottish Minister told us: I would welcome the opportunity to reassure you that the Scottish Government is only too aware of the many challenges children of Service families can face, particularly around accessing learning.82 and [...] This legislation places a Duty on local authorities in Scotland to identify, meet and address any additional support needs of pupils for whose education they are responsible.83
53We urge the Government to work with local authorities and the Devolved Administrations to reach...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We urge the Government to work with local authorities and the Devolved Administrations to reach agreement that Service children’s SEN statements are recognised by all, without exception, across the UK, demonstrating the country’s 80 Ev 94 81 Ev 92 82 Ev 92 83 Ev 93 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 29 ‘moral obligation’ to this very small number of children and their families, who deserve our full support. Transfer documents
54Our predecessor Committee’s 2006 Report identified problems with the transfer of pupils’ information to new...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Our predecessor Committee’s 2006 Report identified problems with the transfer of pupils’ information to new schools. During our inquiry the Committee heard evidence that the general transfer of information between schools when Service children move continues to be a major difficulty for Service families, and for staff at the receiving schools. Head teachers from primary schools who gave evidence to us at the Wellington Academy said: We have been keeping stats on it because it is taking so much time. Only about 25% of our pupils arrive with records or any kind of evidence from the last school. If you are lucky you might get it a few weeks later in the post. With one school up north, it was not a Service school, I think we made 23 phone calls to them trying to talk to somebody about special needs, and it is just absolutely so frustrating.84 We do rely on paper, handing envelopes over and chasing records and all that. We do have what is called a CTF, which is a common transfer file, which is an electronic transfer of children’s data, but[...]schools do not have one system, [...]but when that child transfers [all the receiving school] will see is their year 2 SATs result. So we do get children where this common transfer file comes through, we open it up and there is no data on there for the child whatsoever. It needs to be one system for everybody, [...] where it doesn’t matter whether you are in Birmingham or wherever, [...] then you will get all the information electronically. You are not relying on someone handing you a bit of paper that they might have lost in transit somewhere.85
55The MoD told us about a project to produce draft guidance for schools on transferring...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD told us about a project to produce draft guidance for schools on transferring information quickly and directly between schools, including across the Devolved Administrations, which is being funded by the £3 million Support Fund for Schools. Olivia Denson said: It is to look at the transfer of records and information about Service children when they move. It is a year-long project to come up with statutory guidance that will be used to produce the information base that is needed for schools when children move.86 and The idea is that everyone is signing up to this document, which will become a Service children’s transition document to be used universally by Service children.87 84 Q 285 85 Q 344 86 Q 388 87 Q398 30 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel
56The Devolved Administrations emphasised the need to work closely with the MoD to ensure minimal...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Devolved Administrations emphasised the need to work closely with the MoD to ensure minimal disruption to a child’s education. The Welsh Government told us: Effective communication between all relevant parties is vital in ensuring minimal disruption to a child’s education. In the context of the Army’s re-basing plans, it will be particularly important that MOD officials work closely with Welsh Government officials to plan for the arrival of any Service children that come into Wales, in order to minimise any disruption to their education.88 In Wales, there is a statutory duty on schools to send an electronic file of Common Transfer information to a child’s new school within 15 school days.89 The Scottish Government told us it was: fully supportive of the ADES National Transitions Officer (NTO) who is currently being funded through a successful bid to the £3M Fund. The NTO will work with Scottish local authorities, their schools, Children’s Service partners, and Armed Forces Services to enhance policy and practice which will take into account the unique features affecting the education of Service Children. One element of the work of the NTO is to look to establish seamless transitions for learners from Armed Forces families with successful school placements and to support families through this process.90 The Northern Ireland Executive told us: General transfer of information between schools when Service children move is a recognised problem here. Feedback from the local Services Children Forum suggests that schools would welcome a consistent format for the transfer of documentation.
57We are concerned that the transfer of records will deteriorate with the increased volume of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We are concerned that the transfer of records will deteriorate with the increased volume of moves as the Army withdraws from Germany, the plans for re-basing take effect, and when RAF and Naval bases are consolidated.
58Susan Raeburn and Karen Ward, primary school head teachers, said that data provided by the...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Susan Raeburn and Karen Ward, primary school head teachers, said that data provided by the SCE schools overseas was not recognised by the DfE.91 Karen Ward added: I had basically 48 out of 61 children whose data was recognised. There were another nine children who had taken year 2 SATs exactly under the same conditions but because it was in Germany or Cyprus it wasn’t recognised by the DfE.92 Martin Bull said that there ‘was a glitch in the data in one particular year when this happened’, and that the ‘problem has been resolved and will not happen again.’93 We are satisfied that the DfE has taken action to resolve this problem. 88 Ev 95 89 Ev 95 90 Ev 93 91 Q 338–339 92 Q 338 93 Q 400 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 31
59We are dismayed that no appreciable progress has been made on the transfer of pupils’...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We are dismayed that no appreciable progress has been made on the transfer of pupils’ records since our predecessors’ 2006 report. Service children and their families deserve better. Only now is work being undertaken to develop a Service children’s transition document. We are pleased that the Devolved Administrations are broadly supportive of a common approach to the transfer of information. We recommend that the Government liaise with the Devolved Administrations, local authorities and others to reach a UK-wide agreement on a transfer document for Service children and a process for ensuring it is used, to resolve this issue once and for all. 32 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel 3 Continuity of education Continuity of education
60As we have already illustrated, a continuous theme of the evidence taken from families, their...
Concluded (the committee's words)
As we have already illustrated, a continuous theme of the evidence taken from families, their representatives and from the Committee’s on-line survey is concern over the lack of continuity of education for the children of Service families. We heard evidence from families, submitted on their behalf by the Army Families Federation, and from contributions to our on-line survey. Examples of the comments we received are given in Box 3 below: Box 3: Concerns of Service families about continuity of education My husband is serving in the armed forces and we have two children. Four years ago, having watched our eldest son struggle with different curriculum and teaching methods in schools both in the UK and in Germany, we decided that he had endured as many changes in schools as he could cope with. He was missing vital steps in learning and was coping with different teaching methods guided by different Local Authorities. An example of this was when he learnt cursive writing in Year R in Kent and then this did not follow on in Germany in the same way, and again was different when we returned to the UK. We also had concerns about his progress. Over the past two years not only have my son’s grades dipped quite dramatically but his self-esteem seems to have been affected too. I believe this is due to the frequent school moves and lack of stability. My husband and I have moved eight times over 13 years. Most of these moves have been big ones: Germany-Yorkshire-Glasgow-Swindon-Germany etc, making settling in one location with husband commuting impossible. Our last two postings only required us to move 50 miles. I kept my job and commuted but DIO policy meant that we had to move houses so even a small move would have meant a school move for my children. And even if we had not moved, who knows where we will go next meaning our children need to stay where they are to guarantee continuity of education. “I have been to lots of primary schools before I was sent to boarding school. I was finding it hard to make new friends again and again but since going to boarding school I have made friends that I will have for the rest of my schooling.” Service child, Army Source: Army Families Federation and NAO on-line survey94
61Some parents expressed concern that mobility meant children did not always complete the curriculum.
Concluded (the committee's words)
Some parents expressed concern that mobility meant children did not always complete the curriculum. We heard evidence from a number of sources that children miss parts of the curriculum and repeat others. While schools must teach certain subjects as part of the syllabus, it is up to individual schools when they cover a particular topic. This can be exacerbated if children move between the Devolved Administrations and England.
62The MoD’s guidance explains that children can start school for the first year of their...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD’s guidance explains that children can start school for the first year of their statutory education at different times in Scotland and Northern Ireland compared to England and Wales. This can have a knock-on effect regarding the year group to which children may be admitted. There are also differences between the Administrations about 94 Ev w11, National Audit Office, The education of Service children: findings of an National Audit Office consultation, April 2013 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/941/naopart3.pdf The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 33 when children move between phases of education, for example moving between primary and secondary schools.95 Catherine Spencer said: It is also to do with the curriculum, because there are differences between [...] the age at which you start school in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England, so that can cause difficulties as well; you may find children jumping up or down. We have numerous reports of children finding that they have moved schools and then, maybe at the end of key stage 2, they have studied the Vikings three times but they have never done the Romans, so they miss chunks of education. One of the things that could mitigate that is making sure that the curriculum lays down more what is taught in each term, but that will not suit every school because of resources.96 Students at the Wellington Academy told us of their experiences, see Box 4 below: Box 4: Experiences of students on their education in moving schools When I first came here I found it really easy because when I was back in Nepal we had already covered all the stuff. I only did up to year 9 in Jamaica, which is equivalent to year 10 in England because there is a year difference in the school year, but the education, what I had done in year 9 was all of the year 11 syllabus. So, basically, when I came here it was like just getting the qualification, not really getting the teaching. [...] Boring? Well, it was nice at times because everyone in the class was—because they have to put you in the lower set. I was supposed to be above everyone in the class. Basically, when they gave me the exam papers just to see 95 per cent on it, it was like, “Okay”. I already knew the stuff, but, yes, still it is 95 per cent. Source: Evidence to Defence Committee 97
63Variation in schools’ teaching styles was also highlighted as adding additional pressure on how Service...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Variation in schools’ teaching styles was also highlighted as adding additional pressure on how Service children adapt and cope in their new schools. Contributors to our on-line survey told us of: “The pressure placed upon Service children to conform to the new and/or different teaching expectations of the different schools they are placed in. This can be found in young children learning to write (differing writing styles between schools) through to high school pupils having to catch up very quickly with differing syllabus.” Service parent, Royal Air Force98
64MoD guidance provided to parents acknowledges these difficulties: Individual schools decide within year groups and...
Concluded (the committee's words)
MoD guidance provided to parents acknowledges these difficulties: Individual schools decide within year groups and Key Stages when to deliver the required components of each national curriculum. For mobile Service children, this can mean that they either repeat and/or miss out parts of their required studies; 95 Ministry of Defence, A Guide for Service Families: UK Education Systems, January 2013 www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/172954/ceas_brochure_lores_spreads.pdf 96 Q33 97 Qq 146-149 98 National Audit Office, The education of Service children: findings of an National Audit Office consultation, April 2013 para 2 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/941/naopart3.pdf 34 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel whilst schools must work with them and their families to ensure that any gaps are properly covered, this can place additional burdens on such children, in addition to any emotional turmoil they may experience through their mobility or a loved one’s deployments.99
65We recognise that as a result of mobility children encounter difficulties in the consistency of...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We recognise that as a result of mobility children encounter difficulties in the consistency of their education. When moving mid-year pupils can repeat topics, for example. Evidence also suggests some children may not be academically stretched as much as they should be. We recommend that under the New Employment Model, Future Army 2020, and Future Force 2020, the MoD undertakes to minimise, as far as possible, moves during the school year, and restricts, wherever possible, the movement of whole units to an appropriate time in the academic year. Boarding schools and continuity
66Parents’ concern over the lack of continuity and the emotional difficulties frequent moves may cause...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Parents’ concern over the lack of continuity and the emotional difficulties frequent moves may cause their children lead many Service families to take the decision, which many find difficult, to send their children to boarding school. I believe that sending our son away to school was the most difficult decision we have ever had to make as parents and one we did not take lightly, but I do feel this was the right decision for our son. The stability that boarding school offers has alleviated anxieties on us as parents as we know that our son will now continue to have continuity of education and reach his full potential academically.100 And a response to our on-line survey was: My child is now in boarding school so the negative impacts have been minimised. That said, the impacts on the wider family of having to board should not be ignored. Boarding has been a decision based on a balance of achieving continuity in education against the ‘loss’ of our child from the family home – a significant concern that has produced immense pressure. Service parent, Army101
67The MoD advises parents to send children of secondary age to boarding school: At the...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD advises parents to send children of secondary age to boarding school: At the secondary stage of education the appropriateness of local provision changes. Schools outside the UK work towards different examinations and qualifications and parents should be prepared to consider the option of sending their older children to a boarding school in the UK. The potential difficulties for a student in the middle of an examination course, if appropriate, transferring back to the UK from the education system of another country, cannot be overstated. For this reason, boarding (either in the UK or at an SCE school) is recommended for children who 99 Ministry of Defence, A Guide for Service Families: UK Education Systems, January 2013 www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/172954/ceas_brochure_lores_spreads.pdf 100 Ev w11 101 National Audit Office, The education of Service children: findings of an National Audit Office consultation, April 2013 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/941/naopart3.pdf The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 35 would otherwise be returning to the British system in the final year of Key Stage 3 or beyond.102 Continuity of Education Allowance
68Service families who choose to send their children to boarding school to provide continuity in...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Service families who choose to send their children to boarding school to provide continuity in education can apply for financial assistance from the MoD. This assistance is called the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA).
69The MoD told us that there were two main principles associated with eligibility for CEA:...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD told us that there were two main principles associated with eligibility for CEA: accompanied service and educational continuity. CEA is available to any serving personnel, and is available for children of 8 years of age until the end of the academic year in which they reach the age of 18. Service personnel can claim up to a maximum of £6,147 per child per term in the current financial year.103 The rates vary according to whether the child is a junior or senior boarder, and if they are boarding or at day school. Parents must pay at least 10 per cent of the school fees, and any fees in excess of the sum of the 10 per cent allowance and the CEA allowance maximum.104 The importance of the Continuity of Education Allowance
70In our on-line survey families told us that they relied on the CEA to provide...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In our on-line survey families told us that they relied on the CEA to provide continuity: “The CEA has allowed our children the continuity and security that they need in their education, particularly for the son with dyslexia. No matter where we moved, the boys have always had their friends at school and the familiarity of the staff and the establishment. This has been very important during my husband’s numerous deployments.” Service parent, Army “CEA remains absolutely critical if Service children are not to be disadvantaged by the regular location moves. If you want a contented serviceman/woman prepared to serve their country without distractions you need to offer something like CEA to those that need it.” Service parent, Royal Navy105
71We heard evidence that CEA plays a part in the retention of personnel.
Concluded (the committee's words)
We heard evidence that CEA plays a part in the retention of personnel. In evidence submitted by the Army Families Federation, a Service parent said: I feel that choosing the boarding school option was the most difficult decision that we have had to make in life so far. If the Continuity of Education Allowance had not been available, then I think that my husband would have considered leaving the Army. The impact of mobility would have been too great on our children’s education as we have moved 15 times in 22 years so far. 106 102 Ev 71 103 Army Families Federation website: www.aff.org.uk 104 Ev 72 105 National Audit Office, The education of Service children: findings of an National Audit Office consultation, April 2013 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/941/naopart3.pdf 106 Ev w11 36 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel “CEA (Board) is necessary to allow my child stability during their secondary education if I am to continue to serve as flexibly as the Service requires. Any reduction in CEA would cause me to question my continued service in the military because while mobility is key to a productive career it must not be at the expense of my family life. They put up with enough disruption (willingly) but I would not tolerate cuts that impacted my child’s chances of achieving her full potential academically. I would also not be prepared to pursue a career that required me to live away from my family, perhaps only seeing them at weekends.”107 Tightening of the rules on eligibility for the Continuity of Education Allowance
72In October 2011 the then Minister for the Armed Forces announced the conclusions of a...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In October 2011 the then Minister for the Armed Forces announced the conclusions of a review into the CEA. Following that review the MoD maintained the core principles of CEA, though there were some improvements to governance and tightening of rules on eligibility for CEA.108 The review led to concerns amongst Service families about their entitlement to CEA and the longer term effect on their children’s education. Parents said: The process to get CEA is difficult and constantly changing. Service parent, Army 109 The CEA rules need to be relaxed. When one child is in receipt of CEA the other child(ren) should not be disadvantaged by constantly having to move to fulfil a set of very archaic and poorly thought through rules. Service parent, Army 110 I have seen children's education and therefore their potential long term prospects destroyed by SDSR due to withdrawal of CEA and unexpected moves.111
73The MoD told us: A complete re-write of the CEA policy is underway in order...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD told us: A complete re-write of the CEA policy is underway in order to make the regulations more easily understood by the recipients and more easily governed by the CEAGT (Continuity of Education Allowance Governance Team).112 We asked the MoD whether this current re-writing of the rules around CEA would mean further changes or cuts in the payments or entitlement to them. We were assured that it would not and that the re-writing of the rules was a matter of clarification and not a major change of policy.113 Gavin Barlow said: What we are talking about is clarification of the rules set. There have been a number of changes incrementally since the SDSR, including the one I just mentioned about 107 Ev w23 108 HC Deb, 13 October 2011, col 36WS 109 National Audit Office, The education of Service children: findings of an National Audit Office consultation, April 2013 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/941/naopart3.pdf 110 Ibid. 111 Ev w24 112 Ev 73 113 Q 480 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 37 withdrawal, some of which is being dealt with in defence information notices and so on. That has contributed to a situation where we want to rewrite the whole thing so that it is easier to understand and is really clear. It is part of the work we are doing generally on our allowances to make them more readily accessible and understandable.114
74Staff at Wellington Academy told us that applications for CEA at post-16 were being turned...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Staff at Wellington Academy told us that applications for CEA at post-16 were being turned down ‘quite a lot’. The staff also said that applications for funding at A-Level have to be made before students finished their GCSEs Obviously we know at post 16 it seems to be turned down quite a lot. We are finding that if somebody applies at A-Level then they are not going to get the funding, yet they have been with us for five years, or been somewhere else and they want to leave to move to this area. They know they are going to be posted halfway through their A- Levels, but if they don’t apply before they finish their GCSEs they are probably not going to get it at A-Level. We find that sometimes if they are going to be posted, they are a day pupil, they may not get it for the second year of A-Levels or the second year of their BTech course, which means they have to transfer, go somewhere else, and obviously it is quite difficult, I think, because we are matching exam boards, schools have different option groups, are they going to fit in, are their options going to fit, which then could affect university choices.115 We received some evidence questioning the value of the CEA. Parents told us in evidence submitted on their behalf by the RAF Families Federation that: We made a lifestyle choice which requires me to commute but has enabled our children to attend a first rate grammar school at no cost to us or to the military. In contrast I see many others placing their children in a fee-paying school. [...]there is an adequate state boarding system - it should be the ONLY option for CEA. I recognise that my views may be controversial but I believe I have a reasonably balanced view based on my personal and professional experiences.116 Whilst we recognise that this particular allowance is an emotive one which generates much debate and discussion, we seek to remind those involved, [...] of the fundamental purpose of the allowance. That is to ensure continuity of education for those Service children who might otherwise be affected because they are a member of a military family. It is never an easy decision to place a child into the boarding school system, and there are long-term financial implications for the family, but it is one that many parents have to take to ensure that their child(ren) get the best start possible.117
75Maintaining continuity in their children’s education is a major concern for parents.
Concluded (the committee's words)
Maintaining continuity in their children’s education is a major concern for parents. We support the principle of paying CEA to those families who choose to send their children to boarding school to provide continuity. The MoD should clarify the rules on 114 Q 480 115 Q 345 116 Ev w26 117 Ev w22 38 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel CEA and reassure Service personnel that entitlement to CEA is not under further review and will not change at short notice. Take-up of CEA
76There has been a significant reduction in the number of claimants of CEA since 2009-10.
Concluded (the committee's words)
There has been a significant reduction in the number of claimants of CEA since 2009-10. Gavin Barlow said this resulted from: the reduction in overall numbers of Service personnel over that period, and also with the changes to the involuntary separation rules, which probably account for several hundred of the reduction in claimants, but the number is about where we would expect it to be at the moment, given the trends in take-up of the allowance and the impact of the rule changes that we have put in place. I would refer also to much more careful governance within all the Services, which have all looked at their CEA claimant community carefully to make sure that all the claims are well founded and properly documented. During that process, a number of people have withdrawn from claiming the allowance who perhaps did not meet those standards, and some others are perhaps more reluctant to put themselves forward as well, but it continues to support well over 4,000 claimants. The allowance is very well used and needed by the Service community.118
77During the inquiry we heard evidence that the rate of take-up of CEA remained lower...
Concluded (the committee's words)
During the inquiry we heard evidence that the rate of take-up of CEA remained lower amongst lower paid ranks. The MoD told us: The overall CEA claimant community currently comprises 2,476 Officers (60%) and 1,631 Other Ranks (40%); a ratio that has remained relatively unchanged during the period under scrutiny. Although the ratio of Officer to Other Rank claimants is around 1.5:1, the proportion of claimants within each group is significantly different. Officer claimants represent 8.3% of all serving Officers (30,010) whereas Other Rank claimants represent only some 1.1% of all serving Other Ranks (145,930).119
78Gavin Barlow explained the differences in the rate of claimants between the ranks: That very...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Gavin Barlow explained the differences in the rate of claimants between the ranks: That very much reflects the demographic of the Service community. Most of the junior ranks will not have school-age children, whereas you will find that not all, but the majority of those who serve with school-age children—for CEA purposes, children aged over eight—will be senior non-commissioned officers, or officers. I think the peak—the largest block of claimants—is round about Captain/Major level. That is where the demographic peaks, but that is just representative of the nature of the Service community as a whole, rather than an idea that it might be in some way an officers’ allowance or something of that nature, because it is not. It is available to all Service personnel who meet the mobility requirements and have children of the relevant age, if they wish to have it.120 118 Q 483 119 Ev 73 120 Q 484 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 39 Nevertheless, we heard evidence that they may still be a lack of awareness of the allowance among lower ranks: The only reason we got brought on to it is because at the time I was working at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy and there was a lot of officers who had children who seemed to take advantage of it but there was not very many soldiers. I do not know if it was to do with the cost or money, because obviously that subsidises quite a lot of the cost. However, I think the majority of it was because the soldiers were not possibly aware that they could do it.121 Staff at the Wellington Academy expressed the view that boarding is seen as something officers traditionally did: My point about ordinary soldiers is that it appears as slightly alien, it is an alien concept. It is possibly an alien concept to ordinary people, boarding, boarding schools. It has this sort of connotation, so I think there is a lot more that could be done about that. Then we will fill our places, so we don’t want to advertise it too well, because there aren’t many places left anyway. There are hardly any places in state boarding anyway.122 State Boarding Schools
79During the inquiry we found a lack of awareness of the state boarding school system.
Concluded (the committee's words)
During the inquiry we found a lack of awareness of the state boarding school system. Andy Schofield, the Principal at the Wellington Academy, said: I think there is a point here about the strength of the state boarding system, which I am a strong advocate of. We have 35 boarding schools and it is a bit of a Cinderella element.123
80The cost of tuition at state boarding schools is met by the state, so Service...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The cost of tuition at state boarding schools is met by the state, so Service families would be required to contribute only to the boarding costs. This could help those who may find the cost of contributing 10 per cent of the fees a disincentive, or who may find a state rather than independent school a more acceptable option.
81Evidence from the State Boarding Schools Association said that by September 2013 there would be...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Evidence from the State Boarding Schools Association said that by September 2013 there would be 37 state boarding schools. The Association said that there were fewer Service children at state boarding schools than might be expected, as less than 10 per cent of boarders at state boarding schools were Service children in receipt of CEA.
82The Association suggested possible reasons why this might be the case, including the difficulty of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Association suggested possible reasons why this might be the case, including the difficulty of entering a child for a selective entrance examination if the family are located abroad, that applications had to made in autumn but notice of a place not given until spring, and independent schools offered places before Christmas. The Association also 121 Q 232 122 Q349 123 Q349 40 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel expressed the view that a lack of funding for the maintenance of the schools may make them less attractive to parents.124
83The Ministry of Defence should ensure that all Service personnel are aware of the availability...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Ministry of Defence should ensure that all Service personnel are aware of the availability of the Continuation of Education Allowance. It should also advertise more effectively the existence of the state boarding schools. Safe-guarding children
84Issues regarding the safety of children at an independent school were brought to our attention...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Issues regarding the safety of children at an independent school were brought to our attention during the course of this inquiry. We were surprised to learn that parents’ continuing entitlement to CEA depended on value judgements by the MoD in such cases. We asked the MoD for clarification of their role, as there are occasions when parents might reasonably want to move their children to another school. For example, we were made aware of issues regarding a change in entitlement to CEA where there were concerns about abuse in a school. The MoD’s role in decisions on entitlement to CEA when parents wish to move their children in such cases was not clear.
85The MoD view is that the purpose of CEA is to ensure continuity of education.
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD view is that the purpose of CEA is to ensure continuity of education. Gavin Barlow said: But clearly if the Service parent wants to make use of continuity of education allowance, there is an expectation from us that that is there to provide educational continuity. So there is a fairly high bar on Service parents committing to that at the outset and maintaining it. But clearly if there is a good reason for moving a child, that is possible.125
86Following two evidence sessions at which questions regarding the protection of children were raised the...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Following two evidence sessions at which questions regarding the protection of children were raised the MoD provided further information.126 However, the information provided lacks clarity and it is difficult to relate the figures to other information provided. For example it is unclear how many cases have been brought to the attention of CEAS, and when and for how long schools have been removed from the MoD database. There is a lack of robust procedure and guidance in place to ensure families have the confidence to remove children where there is a child protection concern.
87The MoD told us that a re-write of the rules would clarify the position: The...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The MoD told us that a re-write of the rules would clarify the position: The CEA regulations are currently being re-written in line with the outcome of the Ministerial Review of CEA conducted in 2011 and the following wording will be included: 124 Ev w28 125 Q 365 126 Ev 82, Ev 87 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 41 If the child is in immediate danger or there is a safeguarding issue, the child may be withdrawn immediately and advice may be sought from CEAS and casework submitted as soon as possible retrospectively.”127 We note that the revised ‘reasons for Changing School during a Stage of Education which may be acceptable in certain circumstances’ does not include child protection issues.128 This omission should be rectified in the current revision of the regulations.
88The safety and well-being of children is paramount and the rules should not hinder movement...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The safety and well-being of children is paramount and the rules should not hinder movement of pupils in cases where, for example, there have been suggestions of abuse. The MoD should clarify the rules on CEA and its role in the decision-making process when parents wish to move their children to another school during a key stage of education. We recommend that in principle the MoD should be more prepared to leave to parents the difficult judgement of when to move a child; while it is axiomatic that a “Continuity of Education Allowance” is designed to provide continuity, the name of the allowance should not be a major barrier to the parents deciding what is best for their child. 127 Ev 87 128 Ev 82 42 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel 4 Financial Support Schemes Service Pupil Premium
89In April 2011 the DfE introduced a pupil premium in England to provide additional support...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In April 2011 the DfE introduced a pupil premium in England to provide additional support to children from low-income families who were eligible for free school meals, looked-after children and children from families with parents in the Armed Forces. The Service Pupil Premium is paid directly to schools in England to support Service children on their register. The premium increased from £250 to £300 per pupil per year from April
90Evidence we heard from parents at the Wellington Academy at Tidworth, the Families Federations and...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Evidence we heard from parents at the Wellington Academy at Tidworth, the Families Federations and the on-line survey indicates that not all parents are aware of the premium, or are not aware of how it is spent. Bill Mahon said: Our evidence is that a majority of families have not heard of the Service Pupil Premium, and do not know what it is for. A communications message and piece are required to help promote it, perhaps more so than there is at the moment.131 And the RAF Families Federation told us that: Comments have also been made about the way that the funds are being spent, with many parents asking how their schools should be using the funding to best support Service children. While many schools are already making the best use of these funds, and sharing best practice with others, we have received evidence to the contrary from other young Service family members. One told that her school had spent the funds on arts supplies while another had organised a trip just for the Service children but this then caused problems with the non-Service children, who challenged why they were being treated as a special case.132 The NAO told us that: 129 The Armed Forces Covenant: Today and Tomorrow, www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/49470/the_armed_forces_covenant_today_a nd_tomorrow.pdf 130 Q 451 131 Q 68 132 Ev w22 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 43 Seven in ten (72 per cent) respondents were aware of the Service Premium. Awareness was lowest among Royal Marines families (58 per cent aware, 22 out of 38) and highest among Royal Air Force families (79 per cent aware, 151 out of 192). However, of the 718 respondents who were aware of the Premium, only 14 per cent (102 parents) knew how their children’s school spent this additional money, 28 per cent (201) said that they did not have children at state/maintained schools since April 2011 (and hence would not have had children eligible for the Service Premium), and 58 per cent (415) did not know how the Premium was spent. Of the 102 parents who knew how their children’s school spent the Premium, the majority (80 per cent) thought that the money was helpful to the Service children at the school, with 41 per cent saying that it was ‘very’ and 39 per cent that it was ‘fairly’ helpful.133
91The DfE gave us a range of examples of how the Service Pupil Premium funds...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The DfE gave us a range of examples of how the Service Pupil Premium funds had been used. It also provided examples of its use on its website.134 For example, many schools use the additional funds to provide pastoral care and support for children whose Service parent may be on operations. Martin Bull said: The DFE worked with the MoD and wrote to about 1,000 schools known to us to have high numbers of Service children on the roll and we gathered case studies. [...] A head teacher might offer one-to-one tuition to help the child catch up in terms of the curriculum. It might be used to help induct them and provide a smooth transition from a school abroad to the new school. There might be support for a buddy system. Another example relates to SEN and whether support is needed around SEN for a child, so there is immediate support if the child arrived really quickly and was not known about in advance. It has been used a number of different ways.135 Expenditure on the Service Pupil Premium
92Schools with a significant number of Service children can receive a substantial amount of money.
Concluded (the committee's words)
Schools with a significant number of Service children can receive a substantial amount of money. MoD provided expenditure statistics on the premium as follows: The total annual expenditure on the Service Pupil Premium since its introduction. • Service Premium financial year 2011–12: 45,070 children – £9,014,000 (rate of £200 per service child). • Service Premium financial year 2012–13: 52,370 children – £15,712,000 (introduced ever measure and increased rate to £250 per service child). • Total for 2011–12 and 2012–13: £24,726,000. 133 National Audit Office, The education of Service children: findings of an National Audit Office consultation, April 2013 paras 3.8 and 3.9 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/941/naopart3.pdf 134 www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-service-pupil-premium 135 Q 453 44 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel • Service Premium financial year 2013–14 rate increased to £300 per service child. However, the timing of data means we do not yet have final pupil numbers for this year.136 Evaluation of the Service Pupil Premium
93Ofsted told us: from February 2013, inspectors will report specifically on the performance in English...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Ofsted told us: from February 2013, inspectors will report specifically on the performance in English and mathematics of pupils supported through the pupil premium compared to all other pupils in the school. Inspectors will highlight any differences between the average point scores for English and mathematics and whether gaps are narrowing for [...] children of service families and all other pupils.137
94We note that Ofsted have strengthened their inspections to report on performance in English and...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We note that Ofsted have strengthened their inspections to report on performance in English and mathematics of pupils supported by the Pupil Premium from February 2013. But we look for more evaluation of spending on the Service Pupil Premium and evidence that this funding is used to support Service children in the particular problems they face, for example the provision of pastoral care when a parent is deployed on operations; difficulties a child may experience when they change schools part way through a school year, or where there are conflicts over the curriculum between the new and old school, and gaps may need to be filled.
95We support the payment of the Service Pupil Premium to support Service children.
Recommended (the committee's words)
We support the payment of the Service Pupil Premium to support Service children. However, we are not convinced that this expenditure is adequately monitored for value for money for the taxpayer, and to ensure that it is used to the best possible advantage to the Service children themselves. The Government should introduce guidelines on how the Service Pupil Premium should be spent. It should also require schools to make more transparent how this money is spent. The Government should monitor and publish this information and share examples of best practice.
96Ofsted should be asked to report in more detail on the results achieved by use...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Ofsted should be asked to report in more detail on the results achieved by use of the Service Pupil Premium to ensure that the funding is meeting the particular needs of Service children. The DfE and the MoD should also report on the overall level of expenditure on the Service Pupil Premium.
97The Armed Forces Covenant applies to all Service personnel and their families across the UK,...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Armed Forces Covenant applies to all Service personnel and their families across the UK, however the Service Pupil Premium is paid only in England. Northern Ireland operates a similar scheme where qualifying schools receive an additional £405 per child (2012–13 rates) for each full-time pupil from a Service family.138 This money is used to bridge learning gaps caused by the transient nature of Service children.139 It can also be used for pastoral care services.140 In written evidence, the MoD said that the Welsh DfE and 136 Ev 87 137 Ev 89 138 Ev 92 139 Ev 92 140 Ev 92 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 45 Skills had not yet formally considered the option and the Scottish Service Children’s Stakeholder Network, chaired and facilitated by the Scottish Directorate for Learning, have judged that such an option is not currently required in Scotland.
98In its contribution to this inquiry, the Scottish Government said: we have not implemented the...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In its contribution to this inquiry, the Scottish Government said: we have not implemented the Pupil Premium or the Service Pupil Premium. The distribution formula used to allocate the Scottish Government’s funding to local authorities has been developed over a number of years and is based on the relative need of each local authority, including levels of deprivation (take up of Free School Meals and income support). The needs based formula for local government funding was reviewed in 2009 by a joint Scottish Government/Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) group. It concluded that the existing needs-based indicators were reasonable and generally a fair indication of need.141 The Welsh Government said There is no Service Pupil Premium in Wales. However, there is support available for children of Service families in schools in Wales through our School Effectiveness Grant and the Pupil Deprivation Grant. These grants are the Welsh Government’s principal means of providing financial support for our three national priorities for schools: improving standards in literacy; improving standards in numeracy, and reducing the impact of poverty on educational attainment. Responding to the challenges we face in improving our educational outcomes in Wales by taking action in isolation on different parts of the education system is counter to the aims of the grants. All Service children in Wales, including those that come to Wales in the future, will benefit from the funding available to schools through these grants, as will each pupil in Wales.142
99Evidence from Service families questioned why the Service Pupil Premium is not paid for all...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Evidence from Service families questioned why the Service Pupil Premium is not paid for all Service children across the UK. We live in Wales and the schools do not receive the Service Premium but the children at schools in Wales still face the same issues that they do when they move in England. There are not many postings in Wales but our children have to learn Welsh, the Service Premium could really benefit the children in giving them extra assistance in this new and unusual language.[...]It shouldn’t matter where the child is at school, it should be all children have this premium or none of them.143 Whilst we welcomed the financial support that the Premium brings to schools with Service children, many families have asked why it only applies to those in state schools in England. Those posted to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have challenged why their children do not get the same support and feel that they too are being disadvantaged.144 141 Ev 93 142 Ev 94 143 Ev w7 144 Ev w22 46 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel
100The anomalies in the payment of a Service Pupil Premium across the Devolved Administrations indicates...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The anomalies in the payment of a Service Pupil Premium across the Devolved Administrations indicates a contradiction between the Armed Forces Covenant and the practice across the UK. The Government should liaise with the Devolved Administrations to encourage the same level of support for all Service children across the UK in line with the Covenant. In its response to this report the Government should set out why the Service Pupil Premium can at the same time represent good value for money in those areas which have it and be unnecessary in those areas which do not. Local Authority Funding
101We were concerned to hear from head teachers during the evidence session at the Wellington...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We were concerned to hear from head teachers during the evidence session at the Wellington Academy that some Local Authorities might have taken payment of the Service Pupil Premium into account when allocating funding and removed other sources of funding. Susan Raeburn said: The local authority used to give us something called the Forces Protection Factor, so when the Pupil Premium came in everyone was kind of saying, “Oh, you are so lucky. You have an extra £40,000 for your school” or whatever. I think the first year the Pupil Premium came in the local authority took away the Forces Protection Factor. [...]We ended up £1,000 worse off, because we got our Pupil Premium money and then they took away the Forces Protection Factor, saying, “We are not paying this anymore”.145 And The other thing is that my understanding is when the new funding streams were being discussed in our local authority, one of the streams that Wiltshire could have chosen to fund us on was mobility. [...] they said it was too complicated to be able to put it into practice [...] so they discounted that as a possible way of supporting the funding.146 Andy Schofield said: I think the biggest problem in terms of funding across the board for schools that have a high proportion of military families is that on most measures of deprivation we don’t really register,[...] Here you do not get that core funding. It is assumed that because your free school meals level is generally low then you must be in affluent Wiltshire, and that is completely the opposite. [...]. There needs to be an additional funding element. [...]the overall level of funding is not high enough to enable us to do those longer-term things. We should not have to rely on £3,000 grants from the military to do a bit of counselling. It should be systemic.147
102We are concerned that the introduction of the Service Pupil Premium has replaced other forms...
Recommended (the committee's words)
We are concerned that the introduction of the Service Pupil Premium has replaced other forms of funding, so that schools with a significant number of Service children 145 Q 311 146 Q 322 147 Q 314 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 47 may not benefit as much as was intended. The Government should ensure that Local Authorities do not use the Service Pupil Premium to replace other funding. The Ministry of Defence Support Fund for Schools
103The Ministry of Defence Support Fund for Schools provides £3 million a year for four...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Ministry of Defence Support Fund for Schools provides £3 million a year for four years (2011-15) to help mitigate the effects of mobility and deployment for schools with a Service children population. The MoD told us: The fund was set up to provide funding to maintained schools with Service children, (regular and reserves forces), to help them provide mitigating action where their Service community were experiencing either exceptional mobility and/or deployment and this was impacting upon the school. Any grant from the fund is paid directly to the school to implement the mitigating action which should benefit the whole school not just those Service children within it.148 State schools across the UK can apply to the Support Fund for assistance. In oral evidence, the MoD and the DfE gave us examples of how this fund may be used, including supporting pupils in the Devolved Administrations in place of the Service Pupil Premium. Table 2 below shows how these funds have been allocated across the four nations of the UK. Table 2: Distribution of the Support Fund for Schools Service Children 2011 Fund 2012 Fund 2013 Fund Country Numbers % Total % Total % Total % England 45,000 91.1 1,861,185 69.5 1,802,830 60.1 1,678,983 58.9 Scotland 2,500 5.1 421,627 15.7 711,101 23.7 588,242 20.6 N Ireland 900 1.8 325,641 12.2 382,982 12.8 454,680 16.0 Wales 1,000 2.0 70,183 2.6 103,079 3.4 128,408 4.5 Totals 49,400 2,678,636 2,999,992 2,850,313 Source: Ministry of Defence149
104The figures show that Scotland and Northern Ireland receive a disproportionately high percentage of the...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The figures show that Scotland and Northern Ireland receive a disproportionately high percentage of the funds based on Service children numbers. As schools in the three Devolved Administrations do not receive the pupil premium it is not unreasonable for England to receive less, but schools in Wales should be encouraged to apply for funds in line with those made in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
105The Government should publish figures showing the distribution of the Support Fund for Schools across...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should publish figures showing the distribution of the Support Fund for Schools across all parts of the UK, and encourage applications from Welsh schools to ensure all regions get their fair share.
106However, it must be remembered that the Support Fund for Schools is a relatively small...
Concluded (the committee's words)
However, it must be remembered that the Support Fund for Schools is a relatively small fund (£3 million per year over four years, compared with an average annual Service Pupil Premium payment of £12.4 million).150 We consider the plans for this expenditure 148 Ev 74 149 Ev 84 150 Ev 74, Ev 84, Ev 87 48 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel are very ambitious for a relatively small amount of money. As with the Service Pupil Premium, there is lack of evidence on the value for money of this expenditure.
107The Devolved Administrations have acknowledged some of the benefits of the MoD Support Fund for...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Devolved Administrations have acknowledged some of the benefits of the MoD Support Fund for Schools. The Scottish Government said The Scottish Government has welcomed the £3M Fund and has worked in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, CoSLA and ADES to ensure it was promoted across Scotland and fit for purpose within devolved responsibilities. We have fully supported this fund, specifically one of my officials is the chair of the regional assessment panel here in Scotland. I am aware that there is one year funding left from this Commitment and I am confident that our work here in Scotland will draw in another good level of quality bids. It is unfortunate that this fund will come to an end prior to the movements taking place as part of the re-basing review.151 And the Welsh Government said: I am pleased to inform the Defence Committee that generous funding from the MOD’s Support Fund for Schools with Service Children is already helping several Welsh schools support Service children. [...] Welsh Government officials will be working closely with their MOD counterparts to devise a means of encouraging more Welsh schools to apply under the next funding round.152
108The Government should publish details of the ways in which the Support Fund for Schools...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The Government should publish details of the ways in which the Support Fund for Schools money is spent in support of Service children, and give examples of good practice so that best use is made of this limited resource. We agree with the Scottish Government, that the Government should maintain this Fund after the planned four years to provide pastoral and other support to individual schools where needed. The need will rise as significant numbers of Service children move during re-basing and the withdrawal from Germany. Support for Bereaved Families The Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme
109The Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme provides university and further education scholarships for the children...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme provides university and further education scholarships for the children of Service personnel who have died on active duty since 1990: The aim of this scheme is to give the children of those who have died in the service of their country a head start in life by enabling them to obtain a university degree or further education training. The Scheme is funded by BIS, DfE and the devolved 151 Ev 93 152 Ev 94 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 49 administrations, but is administered by the MOD. To date, 95 children have benefited from the scheme.153
110The scheme pays £1,500 a year to encourage children to stay on in Further Education,...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The scheme pays £1,500 a year to encourage children to stay on in Further Education, and up to £13,950 (for tuition fees and maintenance) to help those children to study for a university degree).154 The scheme is not means tested. School Fees
111Concerns regarding the ability of bereaved families to meet the on-going costs of school fees...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Concerns regarding the ability of bereaved families to meet the on-going costs of school fees were brought to our attention during the course of our inquiry. We heard concerns that the continuity of children’s education could be endangered when families could not maintain payment of school fees. We also heard that there could be delays in the payment of pensions and other entitlements.
112We sought assurance from the MoD that provision was made for these families.
Concluded (the committee's words)
We sought assurance from the MoD that provision was made for these families. We were concerned that these families were reliant on charities or school bursaries to maintain continuity of education in such cases. The MoD told us that: a. There will be no new entitlement for any child not already in receipt of CEA when the claimant dies or is invalided, irrespective of any future parental aspirations for the education of a child. b. CEA will continue to be paid up to the end of the current stage of education or for up to 2 full terms after the term in which the death or invaliding of the claimant occurred for each child, whichever is the longer extension c. If the child is already studying for public examinations, CEA will continue to be paid for up to 4 years or to the end of the term in which the child takes the examination and then leaves school, whichever is soonest, e.g., for a child aged 14-16 years who moves onto A-level studies, this would normally be up to 4 further years, for a child aged 16-18 years it would normally be up to 2 further years. and Child/Children’s Payment—Child/Children’s Payment is an income stream paid monthly to eligible child(ren) in order to provide financial support following the loss of their parent, guardian or person on whom they were financially dependant. It is normally payable up to the age of 18 (or until the child commences full time paid employment), or up to the age of 23 if still in full time education. The Child Payment is taxable and is adjusted in respect of any benefit paid under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.155 153 Ev 74 154 Ev 75 155 Ev 84 50 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3 Educating the Children of Service Personnel
113We are reassured that a range of funding is available to support the education of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We are reassured that a range of funding is available to support the education of children of a parent killed in the service of their country, though such payments need to be made promptly to avoid unnecessary hardship or worry for bereaved families. The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel 51 5 Conclusion
114We support the aims of the Armed Forces Covenant, in that: Children of members of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We support the aims of the Armed Forces Covenant, in that: Children of members of the Armed Forces should have the same standard of, and access to, education (including early years services) as any other UK citizen in the area in which they live.
115In this inquiry, we have identified that the mobility required of Armed Forces personnel means...
Concluded (the committee's words)
In this inquiry, we have identified that the mobility required of Armed Forces personnel means their children face considerable challenges in achieving the same access to education as the rest of the UK population. During the inquiry it has also become clear that in order to meet the obligations made in the Armed Forces Covenant, the Government is dependent on the voluntary agreement of the numerous bodies who all play a part in providing education for the children of Service personnel.
116In our view there is a conflict at the heart of the Armed Forces Covenant...
Recommended (the committee's words)
In our view there is a conflict at the heart of the Armed Forces Covenant because the Government is dependent on the commitment of those who provide education services—Government Departments, Local Authorities and the devolved administrations—offering the same provision to all Service families wherever they live in the UK. The Government must demonstrate its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant by seeking the co-operation of the Devolved Administrations and Local Authorities to ensure that its obligations are met. 52 The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel