Latest News
On this page:
26 Apr - JSP update
13 Apr - The School Admissions Codes for England
08 Feb - Residential Support Scheme (RSS)
03 Feb - Joint Childcare Statement
31 Jan - Schools overseas update
20 Jan - Increase to the Service Pupil Premium
Changes to CEA application process
The Directorate Children and Young People (DCYP) - MOD 'Your Say' survey 2010
Ofsted report into Children in Service Families
JSP update
Please be aware that all JSPs are updated regularly. JSP 752 is the Tri-Service Regulations for Allowances and Chapter 9 deals with Education Allowances. The most up to date version of JSP 752 is 15.3 and was issued on 1st April 2012. Soldiers have access to the latest version on the Defence Intranet. Regulations on CEA and redundancy are found here so if you have an enquiry about this or anything else that requires information from a JSP then please check you have the most up to date version.
Please contact me at ec@aff.org.uk if you have any further questions.
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The School Admissions Codes for England
The School Admissions Codes for England have been changed and the new codes for admissions and appeals came into force on 1st February 2012. These will affect admissions from September 2013 onwards and appeals lodged on or after 1st February 2012. There are two key changes that affect Armed Forces Personnel:
- allowing infant classes to exceed the statutory limit where the 31st child is a twin or from multiple births, or of armed forces personnel;
- local authorities will need to set out in their admission prospectuses, how they intend to remove disadvantage to Service children regarding all local admission arrangements.
For more information and to download a copy of the School Admissions Code 1st Feb 2012 and the School Admission Appeals Code 1st Feb 2012 click here.
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Residential Support Scheme (RSS) policy change in 2011/12 with regard to children of Armed Forces personnel serving overseas
The Residential Support Scheme (RSS) provides help with the accommodation costs of learners aged 16 and over, who need to live away from home to study because their course is not available locally. The RSS is managed by the Young People Learning Agency (YPLA) in conjunction with Department for Education (DfE) for 16 - 18 year olds and Business Innovation Skills (BIS) for 19+ year olds to address an unfairness for those young people living with a family member who is a Service person overseas.
The DfE and BIS are currently reviewing learner support arrangements. The normal conditions of this scheme mean that applicants must ordinarily be resident in England and have lived in England for the three years preceding the start to the course. DfE and BIS have agreed with the MOD to implement a policy change for new applications of RSS in the current academic year 2011/12. This will enable young people to access RSS in this current academic year if the course they wish to do is not available locally but there will be no retrospective action with regard to applications that have already been received and processed.
The future of the RSS beyond 2012/13 is still under review. The principal of no disadvantage for service families overseas has now been accepted and the MOD will continue to avoid disadvantage to service families should the scheme be replaced in the future.
The new criteria of RSS means the student must:
- be aged 16 or over
- have a household income of £30,993 or less from the previous tax year
- be offered a place on a full-time course at level 2 or 3 that is not available locally
- be ordinarily resident in England and have lived in England for the three years preceding the start of the course. If the student is the child, or the spouse or civil partner of a person who is a member of the Armed Forces serving abroad they will be exempt from the requirements to be an ordinary resident for three years preceding the start of the course
- plan to attend a course with a minimum duration of 10 weeks and at least 15 hours attendance a week
- be living in term-time lodgings nearer than 15 miles from the learning provider
Support will be provided for a small number of cases where:
- a young person wishes to take a second level 2 or 3 qualification in a vocational subject when their first was not
- where the student is seeking to study a level 3 course as entry into higher education
- in some exceptional circumstances for support at level 1.
To receive a RSS application pack and for any further questions call the Learner Support Helpline on 0800 121 8989.
Once the forms have been filled in send it back in the pre-paid envelope to:
Freepost RSLX_GSLZ_RBGE
Learner Support Service
Birmingham
B24 9FD
Students applying for RSS support should include a letter from their Unit overseas to confirm that their parent is in the Armed Forces and is serving abroad with their application. The Learner Support Service, who administer RSS, will request this from the student if it is not initially supplied.
The Learner Support Service will check that the provision is not available locally before the application is approved.
Looking ahead to 2012/13, Service families should be aware that it is expected that the RSS will be replaced by other schemes. Both DfE and BIS have confirmed that students who are family members of the Armed Forces serving overseas who cannot undertake provision locally will be included in any future arrangements.
- For 16 - 18 year olds, DfE are reviewing the support and envisage that the residential support and residential bursary schemes will be replaced by a simpler scheme with a residential element and specialist provision that is not available locally.
- For 19+ year olds, BIS have confirmed that students will be able to apply directly to their college for support from an Enhanced Discretionary Learner Support budget.
For further information on the Residential Support Scheme please visit the direct.gov website.
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Joint Childcare Statement
The MoD have published the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in Overseas Settings (for 0-5 Years) Policy Framework. This endorses the requirement1 to deliver 15 hours funded entitlement for 3 and 5 year olds. It also endorses a commitment to support the Commands in identifying ways to meet the wider demand for early year’s provision through improving access to and availability of places for the 0-3 offer and an Extended Day Care offer for 0-5 year olds. Click here to read more.
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Schools overseas update
Under Programme BORONA Windsor & Ark Schools in Rheindahlen will close in July 2013.
As a relatively small number of secondary age students are likely to remain within the Rhine Garrison catchment area until 2015, HQ SCE staff, in conjunction with HQ UKSC, European Support Group (ESG) HQ Rhine Garrison and the Headteachers of Windsor and King’s schools, have been studying a number of options in order to provide parents with a clear statement about the provision of secondary education beyond the summer of 2012.
Windsor School will remain the default option for all students in years 7, 8 and 9 until it closes. For older students, in years 10 and beyond, a number of options become available to ensure continuity of education provision.
RMC Current, limited, boarding capacity at King’s School, means that there is no provision for students within the wider RMC who would normally attend Windsor school, and who are starting Year 10 in September 2012, to board at King’s school. King’s and Windsor schools are therefore working closely to offer identical GCSE courses for the Sept 2012 intake - and to ensure that student wellbeing is uppermost in their minds. Students will therefore be able to start Year 10 at Windsor school (as day students) before transferring to King’s school (as day students) in September 2013 to complete Year 11.
Regrettably, the nature of A Level courses doesn’t lend itself to this approach and both headteachers recommend weekly boarding at King’s schools for the very small number of students involved. Students starting Year 12 in September 2012 will therefore be able to board weekly at King’s school. Provision will be made at King’s school for students to arrive on a Sunday evening, returning home on a Friday afternoon.
For students located in ESG units, embarking on GCSE (and where appropriate A Level) courses in September 2012, the picture is somewhat different.
AFNORTH Students in years 7, 8 and 9 will continue to use Windsor school as outlined above. Students commencing examination courses in September 2012 will have the option to attend St George’s School at Aachen as day students or to start Year 10 at Windsor school before transferring to King’s school as weekly boarders in September 2013 to complete Year 11. From 2013 all AFNORTH-based secondary age students will use St George’s School in Aachen; KS 3 Pupils will also have the additional option to attend the US / Canadian High School at AFNORTH.
Ramstein Students in years 7, 8 and 9 will continue to use Windsor school as outlined above. Students commencing examination courses in September 2012 will have the option to attend Neustadt International School as day students. All secondary age students will attend Neustadt International School as day pupils from September 2013.
SHAPE Students in years 7, 8 and 9 will continue to use Windsor school as outlined above. Students commencing examination courses in September 2012 will have the option to attend the British School of Brussels (BSB) as day pupils. All secondary age students will attend BSB as day students from September 2013.
Elmpt (including Ayrshire Barracks) Students in years 7, 8 and 9 will continue to use Windsor school as outlined above. Students commencing examination courses in September 2012 will have the option to attend the International School at Duisburg as day students or to start Year 10 at Windsor school before transferring to King’s school as weekly boarders in September 2013 to complete Year 11. From 2013 all remaining secondary age students will use the International School at Duisburg – attending as day students
Further information
Parents of children posted to ESG units (Brunssum, Ramstein, Kalkar or SHAPE) should direct all queries about education provision and transport to the appropriate UK JSU.
Questions about SCE provision should in the first instance be sent to info@sceschools.com
Continuity of Education Allowance
Parents considering returning their children to the UK to board as an alternative to the options outlined above are advised to contact the UK-based Children’s Education Advisory Service - Email: enquiries@ceas.detsa.co.uk. CEAS is part of the MoD Directorate of Children and Young People.
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Increase to the Service Pupil Premium
The Service Pupil Premium for state funded education has increased to £250 per pupil for the year 2012/13. This is great news for Service families.
Click here to download the Frequently Asked Questions.
Please note that this is only for state schools in England as the funds are allocated by the Department for Education. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have their own administrations. This premium is also not for independent schools or SCE schools.
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Changes to CEA application process
The following announcement is on the MOD CEAS website:
With effect from 29th Sept 2011 CEAS will no longer issue CEA Eligibility Certificates. The new CEA Governance Team will be taking on this responsibility. DIN 2011 DIN01-195 refers. Initial claimants and those renewing their eligibility must still come to CEAS for issue of the application form
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The Directorate Children and Young People (DCYP) - MOD 'Your Say' survey 2010
The Directorate Children and Young People (DCYP) has been recently established as the MOD lead for Service children and young people. The Directorate is headed up by Lynda Fisher (the 2-star MOD ‘Director Children and Young People’). Lynda has a wealth of experience in the wider children’s services arena and joined the MOD from Portsmouth City Council where she had held a senior post as Strategic Director. Key staff appointments within the Directorate include Safeguarding, Policy, Commissioning and Communications. The Directorate’s job is to ensure that every Service child, wherever he or she is living in the world, has the best possible opportunity to achieve their full potential and to represent Service children’s needs at the highest level across all Government Departments and Devolved Administrations.
DCYP has identified key areas in Service children’s lives to concentrate on:
- Dealing with upheaval due to frequent moves of home and school;
- Dealing with separation due to the operational deployment of a parent or close family member or friend;
- Promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles;
- Providing inspirational and exciting learning and play activities that ensure Service children and young people raise their expectations and achieve at the highest possible levels;
- Ensuring that all our children and young people are supported and protected and that they feel safe;
- Providing opportunities for Service children and young people to have their voices heard and have a say in shaping the services available to them;
- Providing access to a range of learning pathways so that our young people are able to meet the challenges of adulthood and enter the world of work.
The MOD commission an annual survey known as ‘Your Say’ which is anonymous and open to all MOD staff. The responses to the 2010 survey are of particular interest to DCYP as they relate directly to some of the priority areas outlined above. For example, the survey highlighted concerns across the Services population about the upset, upheaval and sometimes emotional impact caused by frequent moves of home and school as well as separation due to frequent operational deployments.
These sorts of issues are very much on the radar of DCYP and, for example, a key priority within our Children’s Plan is supporting children during times of upheaval and change. This priority area is led by Mrs Olivia Denson who also heads up the Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS), which sits within DCYP, and provides support, information and advice about all aspects of education for Service children, particularly when a posting, for example, necessitates changes to Service children’s educational requirements.
Parents facing a move who are concerned about the impact on their children’s education should contact CEAS before the move for advice. CEAS produce a useful booklet entitled 'Moving Schools' aimed at primary school children and geared towards helping the children to think about and prepare for their forthcoming move. CEAS can be contacted on 01980 618244 or their website at www.ceas.mod.uk.
Another area of concern in the Your Say survey touched on the need for better liaison between the services provided abroad and schools back in UK where Service children move to. Again, this is an area which DCYP is very closely focused on at the moment.
Service Children in State Schools (SCISS) is a group of representatives from over 800 state schools in England which serve military communities, local authorities, DfE, SCE and CEAS, and played a significant role in persuading Ministers to provide additional funds (the Service children’s Pupil Premium).
DCYP recently commissioned Ofsted to look closely at the impact of the partnerships and support for Service children.
The Ofsted Report which was published in May 2011 recognised the strengths of the partnership working between schools and Commands overseas, Service Children’s Education (SCE) Pupil and Family Services, CEAS and local authorities and schools in the UK. Again, DCYP will continue to work closely with all partners in implementing the key recommendations of the Ofsted Report. The Report can be found at ofsted.
If anyone wishes to submit a comment or specific questions please email: LF-PSC-CYP-(Mailbox)(MULTIUSER).
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Ofsted report into Children in Service Families
AFF welcomes the publication of the Ofsted report into Children in Service Families. The report gives a thorough overview of the issues faced by Service families and their children. Its key findings demonstrate that Service children’s education can be detrimentally impacted by moving. As AFF has highlighted previously, the report states that ‘many children’s learning had slowed or receded by continual moves and they needed additional support to catch up. Some did not achieve the grades they might have achieved, if they had not been geographically mobile.’ It goes on to say that ‘Continual moves had a considerable impact on Service children and young people’s social and emotional development and their friendships.’
This independent report verifies what Service personnel and their families have always suspected; that children who move frequently are educationally disadvantaged. It demonstrates that extensive resources will need to be made available to state schools to improve the experience of Forces children.
AFF knows that Service personnel believe in accompanied service and as such this report confirms the reasons why Forces parents value the Continuity of Education Allowance to mitigate the effects of mobility whilst allowing families to live together.
To read the Ofsted report click here.
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