Military Community

Currently, 60% of our children are from military families and we value the diversity that this brings to our school. Our main Army units are:

• The Royal Dragoon and Irish Guards
• Land Warfare Training Centre

We also have a number of families from nearby bases.

The well-being of every child in our school is of paramount importance to us. We also strive to give good quality support to our families.

We enjoy strong links with our military families and work closely with the unit welfare offices, as well as the Army Welfare Service.

Our support and strategies are broadened when parents are on active service in theatre. Some examples of support provided during recent deployments are:

• Whole staff team received pre-deployment brief given by the welfare team prior to deployment.
• Additional “Bring-Parent-to-School” days organised prior to both the advance and main party departures.
• Close ongoing liaison with the regiment welfare office.
• We have a teaching assistant that has specific responsibility for military families
• While “business as usual” is the main focus during deployment, many further layers of support operate beneath.
• Relate counsellor providing counselling for children and parents.
• Children have a “special box” which contains a range of materials such as card, glue, glitter, crayons, drawing paper and “thought book” which they can use during break times. If a child becomes particularly distressed during a lesson, the “special box” may be one of the areas of support given. 
• Bluey basket whereby children can come along at break times and create a paper bluey picture which they then take home to post.
• Teacher Assistants and staff giving individual and group support to our children.
• Attendance at Battalion parades in the town.
• The Head Teacher and members of the staff team attend services and events linked to the Battalion.
• We provide the Battalion with sports equipment for events during the holidays.
• A range of support is given to our mothers.
• Key charities such as Help for Heroes are supported.
• We have a 'Little Troopers' club for children whose parents are deployed.

We appreciate the support given to us by our Battalion such as:

• Supporting our sports day.
• Running a stall at the Christmas Bazaar.
• Drumming and parading our year 6 leavers out of the site on their last day of term.

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