Here at Cove Junior School we incredibly proud to have families from all three branches of the armed forces. Whilst we have parents in the RAF and Royal Navy, the majority of our service families have a parent who is in the army serving with Royal Engineers stationed at Minley Station.
In April 2011, The Department for Education introduced the Service Pupil Premium (SPP) in recognition of the specific challenges children from service families face. Pupils of school age are eligible for the SPP funding to assist the school in providing additional academic and pastoral support. We passionately believe that the funding should target the needs of the individual pupil to ensure that every child reaches their full potential.
For the SPP to make a real impact – we need your help!
Most importantly – we won`t know that you are a service family unless you tell us.
Eligibility criteria
Pupils attract the SPP if they meet the following criteria:
• one of their parents is serving in the regular armed force
• they have been registered as a ‘service child’ in the school census at any point since 2011.
• one of their parents died whilst serving in the armed forces and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme
• pupils with a parent who is on full commitment as part of the full time reserve service are classed as service children
Schools are allocated £310 per child who meet the eligibility criteria.
What could the Service Pupil Premium be used for?
This fund often focuses on offering pastoral support during challenging times and to help mitigate the negative impact on service children of family mobility or parental deployment.
Mobility is when a service family is posted from one location to another, including overseas and within the UK.
Deployment is when a service person is serving away from home for a period of time. This could be a 6 to 9 month tour of duty, a training course or an exercise which could last for a few weeks.
In order to support service children, schools have flexibility over how they use the SPP, as they are best placed to understand and respond to the specific needs of the pupils and their families.
The funding could be spent on providing a variety of means, such as;
• ELSA provision
• Nurture groups, including CAMO Club
• Special events for individuals, groups and the whole school
• Trips, including Winchester University’s Creative Forces Day
• Booster groups
• Additional transition support
• Integration support and relationship/friendship development
• Additional resources
Each school has an allocated person who is responsible for overseeing the support and progress of children who have a parent in the armed forces. At Cove Junior School that responsibility lies with the Deputy Headteacher, Mr Warren Gargan. If you are a service family and wish to discuss our provision further feel free to contact him directly at w.gargan@cove-jun.hants.sch.uk.
Useful Links
A Guide to School Admissions for Service Children in England
Supporting Service pupils in Hampshire a resource for schools and families
Cove Junior School Pupil Premium Information Request Form