Service Children

Supporting transitions

New pupils

Service families often move due to new postings, training or mid-year relocations. Each move brings new changes that can create uncertainty for children, impact their wellbeing and sometimes result in gaps in learning. Schools that understand these unique circumstances can help Service pupils settle more quickly.

When a child arrives at a new school, having a strong induction can help them settle quickly. Approaches could include:

• A tour of the school to build familiarity
• A buddy to support them, potentially a fellow Service pupil
• Regular check-ins with pastoral staff
• Staff who understand the child’s story and previous experiences

A transition checklist, which can be found in our toolkit in the resources section.Transition checklist has been created to offer steps that can be followed by schools, children and parents to support smooth transitions, help everyone stay informed, strengthen emotional support and ensure continuity of learning.

Goodbyes

While the focus can often be on welcoming new pupils, goodbyes are equally as important. For service children, moving schools often means leaving behind friendships, trusted adults, familiar routines and a sense of belonging that may have taken time to build. Thoughtful farewells, that allow pupils to properly say goodbye, can help children leave with positive memories feeling recognised, supported and ready for the next stage of their journey.

Support Strategies

Supporting Service children effectively means recognising the academic, social and emotional impact of mobility and deployment and responding with intentional, compassionate strategies that help children to feel safe, understood and build their confidence to engage with their learning.

1. Consistent routines – predictable structures such as visual timetables and routines can reduce anxiety and support focus.

2. Relationships and belonging – feeling understood and heard can allow a child to feel more settled. “Getting to know me sessions” and regular check ins can support this.

3. Space to talk – Creating a space to promote conservation, even when it may be difficult for a child to express feelings can help them feel emotionally supported.

4. Understand their story – Knowing about the experiences of a service child (deployments, moves, previous schools) can help staff provide more personalised support.

5. Support continuity of learning – Moves can cause gaps in learning or mean curriculum content is missed. Identifying needs early through baseline assessments after arrival and providing short-term catch-up sessions can help to reduce the gap.

6. Offer support during deployments – During deployments, children’s emotions may change. Being aware of this and offering pastoral support can help children manage these times.

7. Promote peer connection – Structured social support can help friendships form quickly, especially as service children can join mid-year.

8. Make use of Service Children’s Champions – A dedicated member of staff responsible for coordinating support for Service pupils can act as a key point of contact for pupils and staff. They can advocate for and raise awareness within the school community.

9. Strengthen home-school communication – Families play an important role in allow staff to offer personalised support. They can help schools understand the child’s experiences and any upcoming changes such as deployments of moves.

Join our Service Children’s Champions Network

As part of our support in Hillingdon, we are building a network of Service Children’s Champions. They are dedicated members of staff responsible for coordinating support and advocating for Service pupils in their school.

Champions can attend meetings to share best practice, access new resources and strengthen relationships between schools. We also offer CPD training to provide useful tools to allow champions to continue to provide the best support for Service pupils within their school. If you are interested in joining the Service Children’s Champion network, contact Hannah or Bernard.