Save Money with the Childcare Voucher Scheme - Childcare vouchers are a government initiative designed to help working parents pay for childcare. You can convert part of your salary into vouchers – up to £243 per month – saving the tax and National Insurance you would normally pay on that amount. The amount you save depends on your individual circumstances, including the value of the vouchers you choose to take, your tax rate and your National Insurance contributions. You could save over £1,000 on your childcare costs each year. Click here for more information on this scheme. 

Plymouth Locality and Schools Out – This is a useful website run by the Plymouth Parent Partnership, which is full of information on events and services in the Plymouth area. It holds a directory covering numerous subjects such as childcare, support groups and training courses.  The website offers advice on local schooling options, and several schools have their own dedicated page, to inform parents of latest news and upcoming events. Click here to visit the site.

Ofsted Recognise Need for R&R in Term Time - Deployment commitments have always meant difficulty for Royal Naval and Royal Marines families trying to tie in R&R dates with school holidays, as schools that grant holidays during term time to the families of serving personnel can risk unfavourable reflection with Ofsted inspections.  We are delighted to have received the following announcement, after raising this point with the Department for Children, Schools and Families:

‘Ofsted has confirmed that these absences should be recorded as authorised and that when the school leaders are discussing this with inspectors, they should specify how many children from service personnel are in the school and how much of the absence relates to the R&R.  Inspectors should discount this in their overall assessment of attendance for the school.  Whilst inspection documentation does make reference to percentages for attendance and absence, this is to guide inspectors and should not drive the judgement - inspectors must use their discretion and professional judgement.’   FANTASTIC!

Please note that Ofsted inspect English schools, we will report back once we know about plans for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA):

Article as featured in Summer 2009 edition of Homeport – With effect from September 2008 there has been a change to the process for claiming CEA (Board). All new claims for CEA (Board) must adhere to these new procedures. Click here for further information.

Childcare Voucher Scheme - This is our latest concern.  On 8 October, we sent this letter to Kevan Jones MP, Under Secretary of State for Armed Forces, copied to Harriet Harman MP, Minister for Women and Equality, to register our concern.

School Admissions Policy Revised - Schools Admissions and Schools Admissions Appeals Codes have recently been revised, with some changes that are of welcome interest to Service families. Click here for more information.

Changes to Secondary School Education -

In 2008 the Government launched the 14-19 Education and Skills Programme for 14-19 year olds. To find out about the changes to the curriculum, which include a new diploma, apprenticeships and strengthened GCSEs and A levels, please follow this link to the website of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Service Children who wish to Board given Government Priority

The Service Personnel Command Paper promised priority to Service children when it came to boarding school access. The new School Admissions Code and School Admission Appeal Code, which both came into effect in England in February 2009, have delivered on this promise.

The key changes for Armed Forces personnel are the new priority access to boarding school places and confirmation that authorities must accept a formal notification of an MOD unit or quartering address as sufficient evidence for children of Armed Forces personnel to be considered in the admissions process. 

To view the revised code please visit the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) website. If parents have any concerns it is suggested they contact the Children's Education Advisory Service (CEAS).

Data on the Relative Performance of Service Children to be Monitored

The MOD and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (CEAS) have been working together to try and address the challenges faced by Service children and the mobility of Service life. This work has highlighted a need to identify how Service children fare in schools in comparison to their counterparts from non-Service families. In January 2008, a Service Child Indicator was added to the annual schools census of state schools in England, to gather this data.

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