Defence CommitteeWritten evidence from Diana Sheldon

I write this as an army wife of 39 years, mother of three children and a primary school teacher who has done much of my teaching in schools where there has been a large proportion of Service children.

I hope to say a little about each of the following:

How the children feel;

Problems for parents;

Issues for teachers/schools.

1. As a mother and a teacher I have seen how news of a move immediately unsettles children regardless of how old they are. Some get over excited and switch off to the current school or situation and just look forward to the new one hoping all problems will go away. Then come down with a hard bump when all problems reappear.

There are others who recoil in horror at the thought of another change and become very shy and quiet and do not meet the new challenge very well at all.

Then there are those who appear to just carry on but can’t voice their concerns so just bury their problems and hope for the best.

2. The problems common to all these groups are well known—work still difficult, areas of curriculum that you haven’t covered have already been done so you don’t understand what is going on, other children already have friendship groups and don’t want to include new ones, new school with different expectation to the one you have just left etc. An example of this last point about expectation is my eldest daughter who moved school after GCSEs and was then predicted with a C for English A level. When I approached the teacher and asked what the problem was he said she was doing fine and there was no problem she was a perfectly average student and should pass without any difficulty. When I pointed out that neither my daughter nor I would be happy with anything less than an A grade he dramatically changed his attitude and said he hadn’t realised her ability and that obviously she had just been coasting since the move. Even at that age she was unaware that the move had had that effect on how she was working and was horrified when it was pointed out—fortunately it was discovered and dealt with in time because I wasn’t afraid to challenge the teacher.

3. My youngest daughter was a case when it came to making new friends. By the age of seven she was starting new fifth new school and said to us that she just wanted to go to boarding school so that she could make friends and keep them. Heartbreaking to send your child to boarding school at the age of eight but that is what we did.

4. One of the main decisions for some Service parents is the “if” or “when” of boarding school. Often dependant on rank and where you live, if there are no other children of the same age on the patch during term time because they are all away then there is pressure to do the same but this doesn’t suit all children, or all parents. For many the cost is just prohibitive whilst for others it is the expected thing to do. If future knowledge of postings could be better forecast then one could make a more informed decision but often you only have an idea about the next one posting and that is often very last minute.

5. The vast majority obviously stay in the state day system and the problems of trying to get your child into the local school if you move mid-term or mid-year are well known. Often the school with a vacancy is the one that other parents didn’t want and often a less good school. So we have children who need special help and support going to schools where this is not available and the problem grows.

6. Some parents are unaware of the gap that begins to form between the performance of their child and the level that they should attain. This gap continues to grow for many children until the point where they need a statement of special needs. This process takes some time and if you are posted during the process there are occasions where you have to start all over again in the new area. If possible parents should be advised to not move the family until the statement has been approved. Many are unaware of this until after they have moved.

7. Not having an address until just before moving is another problem on posting, especially if there are quarters in several areas for the unit you are going to. All this stress and hassle comes at the same time as you are trying to pack up, organise removals and start at a new job. No wonder the children don’t know what to do and feel unhappy.

8. I do know of one family who couldn’t get their 13-year-old son into school for six weeks when they moved to the Birmingham area from Germany. They were told “don’t worry, you won’t be prosecuted, it’s not your fault”. They weren’t worried about being prosecuted, just wanted a school place!

9. The issues regarding transfer of information between schools is well known and a continued problem. I have already mentioned those in the process of being statemented but for all children there needs to be a smooth system put in place. Those with SEN issues in particular need a point of reference so that there is adequate ongoing provision for those where problems have been identified and proper monitoring of progress.

10. In schools where there is a high proportion of Service children and therefore constant movement I believe there should be an individual whose sole job it is to support those children who are about to move and prepare them for that move and then help them collect together their work and belongings for the move. Also be there to welcome new children and be their guide and helper when they first arrive. Look out for them at playtime and make sure someone plays with them, explain to them how the lunch system works and things like that. Also to be the POC between the new parents and the school and report back on how the child is settling in and answer any issues that the parents might have. This person could be another parent or an LSA employed specially for this role but someone who is not the class teacher or the head. Someone who has time to listen to both child and parent, especially if there is a language issue for the parent, for example, Nepalese-speaking, and they need time to understand newsletters and instructions sent home.

11. However, at the moment the biggest concern in the school where I’m teaching is a new strategy that has been introduced that would cost nothing to put right but is causing lots of upset and stress. The new system for applying online for a school when you move means you have go through the LEA you are leaving before you apply to the new LEA. For example, if I’m living in Hampshire and moving to Yorkshire I have to notify Hampshire that I am moving but this can only be done four weeks before moving, so I can’t apply to Yorkshire until that time. I know a place can’t be allocated until four weeks before being needed but there is no reason why an interest can’t be registered and the schools notified that there is someone who would like a place. Then information about waiting lists etc can be exchanged and everyone knows what the position is. We currently have several families very upset and concerned about this relatively new procedure because they are the sort of families who wouldn’t dream of ringing the schools in the area they are moving to if they have been told online that they can’t apply yet. If I haven’t explained this very well please contact me again or one of the local education areas for clarification on how the scheme works and the trouble it is causing.

In summary, nothing really very new, just the same old problems that have been going on 39 years, at least to my own personal knowledge. Hopefully something can now be done.

January 2013