This page provides a comprehensive overview of the support available to Service children and young people from RAF families, both in the UK and overseas including:
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].
MOD Department for Education Service Pupils in Schools: Non-statutory guidance
In April 2025, the MOD and Department for Education (England) published non-statutory guidance to help state funded schools and local authorities understand and address the needs of Service pupils in schools. The guidance includes information to help stakeholders understand the challenges that Service pupils can face in education as well as information relating to supporting Service pupils, admissions, attendance, the Common Transfer File (CTF), higher education, bereavements and more.
Service Pupils in Schools: Non-statutory guidance (gov.uk) >
Armed Forces Children’s Transitions Between Education Systems: An Educators’ Toolkit
Transitions between education systems can bring real challenges for Armed Forces children and young people, from curriculum and qualification differences to changes in assessment methods and support structures.
To support children and young people from Armed Forces families moving between education systems, an Educators’ Toolkit has been developed to help both sending and receiving schools manage positive transitions before, during and after a student’s move. The toolkit was developed collaboratively by education practitioners and policy professionals from across the UK, bringing together expertise from government departments, local authorities, schools, Service charities and the Families Federations.
If your family is considering a move between different UK education systems, you may find the information in the toolkit useful.
We also encourage you to share this resource with your child’s school, as it contains practical guidance to help school staff support successful transitions.
The toolkit is available on the Defence Children Services website:
Wellbeing support
Please see our health and wellbeing pages for additional information on wellbeing and mental health support services available to the RAF community.
From the RAF Benevolent Fund
Moving home support
Forces Children’s Education have created a list of Books to Support Young People when Moving House. Schools, childcare settings and libraries may also have books about moving house that you may be able to borrow to prepare for upcoming moves.
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.
