Why supporting Armed Forces children should be a priority for all schools Louise Fetigan
There are thousands of children in UK schools who have a parent serving in the British Armed Forces. The exact number is unknown, but the latest figures suggest there are 79,000 service pupils in England alone. These children often experience unique challenges that are unfamiliar to their civilian peers such as being separated from their serving parent (or parents, in the case of dual-serving families) for long periods of time, as well as moving home and school frequently. Military life is typically transient and unpredictable; many children thrive on the adventure, but the myth that all forces children are resilient all of the time is pervasive and unhelpful. Most will encounter harder times when they would benefit from additional support at home and in school. Latest figures suggest that half of military personnel worry about the negative impact of service life on their child and these issues were the driving force behind my personal decision to set up a UK charity dedicated to supporting military children back in 2011 when my own daughter struggled with the impact of repeated and sometimes concurrent Armed Forces deployment and separation.
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Our Shoes’, which attempted to capture the lived experience of Armed Forces Families across the UK in more detail, found that the vast majority of service children attend a school with fewer than ten military children. My own experience - having worked with military families for the last decade and having also seen my own daughter be the only military child in a school - is that these are the children who often struggle the most. Being a member of a forces family is a lifestyle; it is not just a family member’s job. So, to be the only military child in a school can feel very lonely and isolating, especially if there is a lack of acknowledgement or engagement from teaching staff who may be dismissive or simply lack understanding and fail to see the need for targeted support.
A challenge for all schools
In 2011, Ousted noted that there is a correlation between Armed Forces life and service children’s wellbeing, particularly for families who are very mobile and during periods of deployments. Schools are in a unique position to bridge the support gap for these children, particularly during times when families are coping with stress and change at home. Schools can be a safe, neutral space for children to share their worries and work through their emotions - if given the chance.
It is easy to assume that these issues only apply to schools with large cohorts of military children – those usually located next to military bases. However, a 2020 Government review, ‘Living in
As well as emotional pressures at home, service children also face practical challenges in school. The transition from one setting to the next is not always smooth and children can find
