Forces Children
A Warm Welcome!
At Welton St. Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy, we are dedicated to ensuring the needs of all children are met, including the well-being of our Service Children. We offer a fostering, positive and supportive environment for the overall well-being of our students.
As a school we understand the anxieties belonging to a service family can bring. We understand that relocating to a new area and school can be a worrying time for all involved. Our aim is to ensure that new pupils are warmly welcomed and settle quickly.
As soon as we know a child will be joining us our Forces Children Champion will be introduced to provide the children with reassurance that they will be supported from the moment they step through the door.
Our aim is to ensure that all children reach their full potential during the time they spend with us. We will support children who may have gaps in their learning, due to frequent school moves or who may need additional support. Class teachers assess children once they arrive and identify the support required to enable them to make good progress.
Emotional Support
At Welton St.Mary’s Primary Academy we can have a number of parents deployed at any one time. We recognise our role in helping to reduce any negative impact upon learning during this time, offering an appropriate level of support to pupils that need it. Past experience has shown us that when children experience any form of loss, school is often the one part of a child’s life where they can carry on as normal. Its normality can be the very thing, that gives the child the structure and reassurance that enables them to cope. Once a family are aware that a parent is going to be deployed we encourage to contact our school.
Our Forces Children Champion – Mrs S Hilliard (Pastoral Team) will visit each child in their first few days of being in school, to ensure that they are settling well and know where to go if they have any questions.
Further information
Below you will find the link to the Service Children’s Education dedicated website. Here you will be able to find useful information including a link to the SCE mobility toolkit and to the Moving Schools Pack. In addition, you can watch videos of SCE children sharing their personal experiences of preparing to leave or arrive at their school.
www.gov.uk/childrens-education-advisory-service
Do I need to register my child with CEAS?
CEAS is the Children’s Education Advisory Service and their mission statement is:
‘To support operational effectiveness in the armed forces by enabling Service (and eligible MOD civilian) families to secure appropriate educational provision for their children in the UK and overseas.’
If your child has special or additional needs then, in line with JSP 820, you must register with the Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS) and notify them of any proposed overseas assignment.
The Service Pupil Premium (SPP) is provided by the Department for Education (DfE) to enable schools to offer additional, mainly pastoral support during challenging times.
Service Pupil Premium Strategy 2024 2025
Service Pupil Premium Overview 2024 2025
Little Troopers
Here at Welton St. Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy we are pleased to run a military services families club called Little Troopers.
Little Troopers was named by our current service children. The club meet to have lunch, play games, make crafts and to generally form friendships with other service children in school. We aim to meet up ever other Tuesday.
Who am I?…
My name is Mrs Hilliard, and I am the Forces Children Champion – which means I am the contact for all service families at our school. I have experienced the military life for many years now, moving regularly and bringing my children up within military life which I believe helps me in this role, which I really enjoy! I am available every school week on a Monday and Tuesday.
We have a display area in our big hall, and if you would like to bring anything in that we can display or add to our notice board please feel free to do so!
Mums/Dads/Grandparents/Carers – if you would like to come into school one afternoon to talk about your life in the Forces please contact us and we would love to arrange this.
The Dandelion – The Flower of the Military Child
The official flower of the military child is the dandelion. This plant puts down roots almost anywhere, and it is almost impossible to destroy. Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military. They are ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.
Military children have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world. They learn that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences.