MOD support for Service children and young people
Defence Children Services
The Defence Children Services (DCS) offer support and advice to ensure that Service children and young people are provided with every opportunity to achieve the best possible outcomes and reach their potential. There are several teams within DCS that support Service families with education-related matters:
Education Advisory Team (UK)
The Education Advisory Team (EAT) (UK) provides information and guidance regarding the education of Service Children in the UK. They provide advice and guidance for Service personnel, eligible MOD civilians and overseas Loan and Exchange Service personnel. The EAT support with education-related issues such as school admissions and appeals; Special Educational Needs and Disabilities; education in the Devolved Administrations and the Continuity of Education Allowance.
The EAT can be contacted via email at: [email protected].
Overseas Education and Supportability Team The Overseas Education and Supportability Team (OEST) provides information and guidance for Service personnel and families regarding the education of their children in overseas locations. This team coordinates the educational supportability assessment process for overseas postings and provides educational advice and support for overseas commands and DCS schools and settings.
The OEST can be contacted via email at: [email protected].
MOD Virtual School
The MOD Virtual School (MODVS) maintains oversight of the safety, welfare and education of children who live overseas in non-DCS school locations (excluding USA, Australia and New Zealand) or who are electively home educated. The MODVS Head teacher can offer advice and support with any aspects of overseas education including curriculum enquiries; academic progress; Special Educational Needs and Disabilities; attendance questions; concerns regarding quality of education and support during transition.
The MODVS Head teacher can be contacted via email at: [email protected].
Wellbeing support from the RAF Benevolent Fund
Please see our health and wellbeing pages for additional services provided by The Fund for the whole RAF family.
Funding and grants available for Service children
Support initiatives for Service children
Deployment Support Guide
Together with SCISS, the Families Federations have created a downloadable Deployment Support flyer for Service families and schools. In it you will find useful links and signposting to key resources and organisations offering support to help children from an Armed Forces background.
The Educational Trusts’ Forum
The Educational Trusts’ Forum is a community of trusts which provide financial grants to help vulnerable children from all walks of life, including from the Armed Forces.
The Forces Children’s Trust
The Forces Children’s Trust offers help for children in need whose father or mother has died, or has sustained life-changing injuries, whilst serving as a member of the British Armed Forces or Civilian Force. They offer child bereavement counselling, group holidays and expeditions, social events, educational visits, educational support.
Little Troopers
Little Troopers supports all children with one or both parents serving in the British Armed Forces. The charity provides fundamental resources and initiatives for use at home and in school that help military children navigate some of the challenges they might face, such as being separated from a parent, or moving home and school
New from Little Troopers: online video series for parents. The three short videos feature qualified therapists as they explore the topics of deployment, moving home and school, and nurturing resilience. Each video explains the emotions that children might be struggling with and how their behaviour might change at home and in school, before offering practical information and advice for parents. Each video comes with activities for the family to complete together to encourage conversation about military life, as well as showing coping techniques that can be used during periods of change and uncertainty.
The Military Kids Club Heroes
The Military Kids Club (MKC) Heroes network is a unique pupil voice group for the children and young people of Service personnel, facilitated by The Royal British Legion. Any school with pupils up to the age of 18 from Service families can apply to join the MKC Heroes network.
Never Such Innocence
Throughout the academic year, Never Such Innocence offers free creative workshops to schools with Service pupils to amplify the voices of children from an Armed Forces background. See further information on the flyer to find out how your school can get involved and request a workshop:
Reading Force
Reading Force use books to bring Forces children and families closer together. The shared reading initiative encourages families to read, talk, and scrapbook about a book, improving communication and enriching relationships with books and each other – one page at a time.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting bereaved military children & young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Wee People, Big Feelings
Babies and young children can be affected by changes in their world just as much as adults, but they don’t always have the words to express how they feel. Starcatchers, in a project funded by the Ministry of Defence, has created a suite of creative play resources to encourage creativity, self-expression and emotional literacy. The Wee People Big Feelings Report shares the learning from the project and highlights the creative play kits that have been developed to support young children. Starcatchers website also has resources, ideas and videos for families and practitioners in supporting babies and young children.
