At Hipswell Church of England Primary School, we are very experienced in supporting children from service families. We work very closely with our cluster of schools and are actively involved in the military community in Catterick Garrison. All pupils attend local events such as Armed Forces Day and special Remembrance Day services, and members of the Armed Forces are invited into school for special celebrations such as the Month of the Military Child.
We understand the challenges faced when families relocate and children start a new school therefore we have procedures in place to support pupils to settle quickly and make friends. Our Service Pupil Champion leads our Hipswell Heroes lunchtime club which focuses on supporting children who are new to Hipswell, due to leave and during parental deployment. So that we can fully support your child, we encourage parents to keep us updated regarding changes and deployments.
Sam Matheson is the Service Children’s Champion at Hipswell CE Primary School.
Useful websites for Service families:
Army Welfare Service
www.army.mod.uk/personel-and-welfare
Army Families Federation
Army Families Federation – Supporting Army families worldwide (aff.org.uk)
Army Hive information
Army HIVE Info: Catterick: Garrison Community Hub Programme
Service Children’s Champion blog
Home – Services Children’s Champion (servicechildrenschampion.co.uk)