Case study completed by:
Louise Edwards - Well Being Co-ordinator (Llanbedr CiW School, Powys)
Caitlin Woodland – Regional School Liaison Officer for Service children in East Wales (Newport City Council and SSCE Cymru)
"
It was a very important day for me."
Isabella, Service child, 4 years old
"It was great fun and exciting to tell all my friends about my Dad and all the things he does. I loved showing the class photographs of my Dad on the big screen."
Dylan, Service child, 6 years old
Which activities were carried out to celebrate the Month of the Military Child?
As part of the suggested activity from SSCE Cymru for Month of the Military Child, the pupils of Llanbedr CiW School carried out several activities. These activities included:
- The school used the Little Troopers, Armed Forces and SSCE Cymru websites to find ideas to set the class-based activities.
- With support from the well-being coordinator, each Service child created a Powerpoint presentation that highlighted their parent's role, their experiences of previous schools, how they moved away from friends, and the emotions they felt when starting a new school. The presentations included information and photographs given by their parents.
- The Service children presented their Powerpoint to their peers. The class collected questions that were shared with the Service children’s families and then answered. This provided pupils with an opportunity to learn and better understand the Service children’s experiences.
- The whole school wore something purple for the day. The class who wore the most purple had an extra ten minutes of playtime.
- Key Stage 2 classes designed badges that might be suitable for Service children to wear. A competition was held to find the winning design.
- Foundation Phase used their ICT and research skills to create fact files. They also created a variety of Armed Forces-inspired vehicles out of recycled materials.
- The Nursery and Reception class created purple badges with a variety of images, including the seeded dandelion.
- To share the information about the activities with pupils and families, the school provided information via the school newsletter, Schoop messages, and local community noticeboards.
What was the impact?
The activities offered an opportunity for the Service children to share their stories and become fully integrated into the school as they joined the school during the Covid pandemic. It raised the staff and pupil’s awareness of Service children and the Armed Forces, by providing information of Service family life, the role of the Service parent, and how that may impact the Service child in the family.
"As the activities were delivered by our Service children, it really was through the eyes of the child and was so understandable and relatable. The fun activities provided an enjoyable and memorable day."
Louise Edwards, Wellbeing Co-ordinator
The school’s activity was featured in the local newspaper ‘Brecon and Radnor Express’, to promote the support for the Armed Forces community to the local community.
How will support be sustained for Service children to ensure long-term benefits?
All staff members have attended the SSCE Cymru CPD training to gain a greater understanding of the experiences and needs of Service children. The school continues to follow the suggestions of the Regional School Liaison Officer, and maintain consistent communication to get advice, share ideas and implement further support for Service children. The school also created a display board of activities which is both a reminder of activities and a discussion starter for visitors, staff, and pupils.
"The Month of the Military Child activities that were run in Llanbedr CiW School proved wholeheartedly that all staff are aware of what our children sometimes have to live with, not seeing a parent for months at a time and the anxiety that can surround that."
Mrs Loftus, Mother of Service child
"We felt so honoured when Llanbedr CiW School chose to take part in the Month of the Military Child. Ellie absolutely loved being made to feel so special and being given the opportunity to share her Dad’s military background and her life so far with her new friends. It’s not something she has ever been given the chance to do before so we really do thank Llanbedr CiW School for welcoming us as a military family with open arms."
Mrs Young, Mother
- raise awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant and the issues affecting the Armed Forces Community in Wales
- improve the availability of information about the Armed Forces Covenant for the Armed Forces Community in Wales
For further information, see:
The SSCE Cymru school checklist, which includes a variety of suggested activities and ways to celebrate your Service children’s experiences.
Date produced: May 2021