Scottish Armed Forces Education Support Group minutes: September 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Scottish Government (SG) Learning Directorate (Chair and Minutes)
• Scottish Government (SG) Safer Communities Directorate 
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) National Education and Transitions Officer (NETO)
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) Advisor (AA)
• MOD Army Representative
• Army Families Federation (AFF)
• Naval Families Federation (NFF)
• Forces Children Scotland (FCS)
• Education Scotland Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities (ES)

Apologies

• MOD Armed Forces, Children and Young People Directorate (MOD)
• Deputy Commander of HQ 51st Infantry Brigade
• Royal Navy Representative (RN)
• RAF Representative (RAF)
• RAF Families Federation (RAFFF)
• Director of The Centre for Military Research, Education and Public Engagement, Napier University

Items and actions

Review of Actions from the previous meeting – 24 July 2024

The note of the last meeting was shared for comments.  Amendments were received and actioned. These will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.

Action 1:

• The Chair will progress setting up a subgroup to look at Transitions.

Update:

• The first meeting was held on 29 August 2024, it was well attended, and a good opening discussion was held around transitions, current resources, and next steps.  The next meeting will be held on 3 October 2024 and will look at the Terms of Reference for the group.

Safeguarding

Education Scotland shared the details of a new operational support safeguarding officer.  Anyone looking for details can contact the Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Senior Education Officer.

Data Collection

The Scottish Government continues to explore the feasibility of centrally collecting data pertaining to children in Armed Forces Families, the Chair provided an update to the group on the progress. 

ADES started work SEEMiS in 2019 to add further indicators to identify the service branch parents are working in.  This work has resumed.

Work has also started on the national annual data collection exercise that ADES carry out and a survey will shortly be sent to Local Authorities.

Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan

The progress report for the period November 2022 to June 2024 has been through several stages of clearance, including from the ASL Project Board and will be published in the Autumn along with an updated action plan.

Meanwhile work continues to progress on the Action Plan. An update of this work will be available at the next meeting.

Transitions

No updates.

Updates from Group Members

Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) National Education and Transitions Officer (NETO)

• Work continues with the network groups – lead officers in the Local Authorities and the Head Teachers Forum
• With the support of Education Scotland and the Scottish Government, an “Educators Sharing Good Practice” event is taking place in Aberdeenshire Council on 25 September 2024 with a further event taking place in Edinburgh on 26 November 2024.

Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES)

• Identify, Purpose and Belonging: The First Scottish International Conference on Armed Forces, hosted by Edinburgh Napier University and the Centre for Military Research, Education & Public Engagement was held between 22 and 28 August 2024. The event was well attended with representation from out with Scotland and all uniform services.  There was an excellent quality of discussion with the event putting Scotland at the heart of international research and world practice.
• The Edinburgh Napier University Research is progressing. A survey of professionals has completed looking at schools’ views and whether needs are being met.  The responses are being collated and analysed to produce a profile of needs - data which has not previously been held. The next stage is to finalise ethical clearance to work with children and young people and parents. Once confirmed the field work will proceed without delay.

Forces Children Scotland (FCS)

• Still in process of recruiting a CEO
• Ongoing projects – launching new resource on deployment created by young people, for young people.

Army Families Federation (AFF)

• VAT on Private Schools is raising concerns with MOD families.  A survey on fees is now closed and feedback is being collated.
• Representatives are attending the SCiP Alliance Scotland Hub Development Event on 18 September 2024
• Ask AFF Scotland Roadshow will take place from the 8th to the 10th October in three locations, Penicuik, Kinloss and Inverness.

Naval Families Federation (NFF)

• Parents have been raising concerns regarding warnings from local authorities and schools about taking children out for holidays during term time. Education Scotland advised that school attendance is being encouraged and scrutinised, however, where parents have been deployed for lengthy periods, holidays should be classed as Exceptional Circumstances.

Forces Children Scotland – UNCRC Report

Forces Children Scotland have published their report, titled ‘It’s not just their job, it’s our whole lives’, outlines how the rights of children and young people from armed forces families are affected across the three categories of protection, provision, and participation.

The report focuses on what rights are affected by Forces life and the CEO ran through key points of the report along with the background and context. 

The stories within the report are written by young people and were used in preference to case studies which tend to give one person’s perspectives. In person sessions, online events and a residential took place to collate over 130 children and young people’s perspectives on the UNCRC articles.  The wording within the report was checked with them for accuracy.  Some children and young people waived their right to autonomy so their name was recorded, others used a pseudonym.

There has been interest from MPs and MSPs on the report and Forces Children Scotland are looking at potentially holding a roundtable in 2025 with these, key MOD staff and the Children’s Commissioner to look at immediate and long-term solutions.

There is also a meeting planned for 6 young people, and 3 members of staff from Forces Children Scotland to meet with the Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise on 18 September 2024 in the Scottish Parliament to discuss the report.

Members of the SAFESG thanked the CEO for the session which they found helpful and informative

Future Meeting Dates

• Wednesday 4 December 2024 - 10:30 - 12:00