When Forces children are recognised: Let’s celebrate positive practice across Scotland

As Camouflaged in the education system makes clear, children and young people from Armed Forces families are too often present, but unseen: their unique experiences are overlooked in systems that aren’t yet designed with mobility, separation, and uncertainty in mind.  

But across Scotland, schools and local authorities are already making important changes and creating better experiences for children and young people from Armed Forces families. 

This Month of the Military Child (#MotMC), we’ve heard stories demonstrating the strength and adaptability of Forces children. Reaching the end of this celebration, it’s important to recognise the educators, practitioners and communities who are quietly and powerfully improving lives and realising the recommendations of our recent report into Forces children’s education. 

Making moves easier 

Mobility is a defining feature of Forces life, yet too often transitions are treated as administrative moments rather than emotional ones. 

In Moray, this is being reimagined. Partners at Kinloss Primary, including the Dandelion Project, Never Such Innocence and the Music Shed, worked with pupils to create a goodbye song called See You Soon, played whenever a child leaves. 

Alongside a memory book and thoughtful leaving activities, this approach recognises that transition is something to be felt, processed and shared. These activities provide necessary support to both the child who is leaving and their friends who are staying behind. 

The Dandelion Project has created a lovely picture trail of the Dandelion Teddy in lots of places in Moray where children like to go, helping children settle into their wider community. 

Meanwhile, at Colinton Primary in Edinburgh, transitions are handled with precision and care. Staff actively connect with both sending and receiving schools, ensuring that information and support follows the child. This is exactly the kind of joined-up practice the report calls for. 

In the Highlands, support through transitions is strengthened through the work of the Military Liaison Group, a partnership of organisations and practitioners coordinating a whole-systems response so Forces children and young people can thrive across the local authority. Their approach goes beyond information-sharing. Working alongside children and young people, they develop resources shaped by lived experience, reflecting what children actually want and need. 

A powerful example is their recently launched Welcome Book for Early Years and Early Primary, co-created with pupils from Drakies Primary School. Designed for children arriving in the Highlands, it offers reassurance, familiarity and a sense of belonging from the very start. 

Tackling missed or repeated learning 

The report highlights the need for flexible and personalised approaches to learning, particularly for children whose education is disrupted with frequent moves. 

Midlothian is offering just that with the Midlothian Informed Personal Support Approaches (MIPSA), funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. And at Mauricewood Primary, a dedicated Learning Assistant works exclusively with Forces children, identifying gaps in their learning and offering support that is suited to each child’s unique experience. 

Our participation colleagues joined by Lydia Kerr, MIPSA Armed Forces Co-ordinator, to celebrate MotMC at Beeslack High School

Creating a visible Forces culture, even for dispersed families 

Many Forces children are dispersed—sometimes, they are the only child in their school with a Forces connection, and the lack of a visible Forces presence can be detrimental to their sense of belonging. 

In response, Angus Council offers an Armed Forces Families Support Team who deliver peripatetic support across the authority, proactively identifying children and ensuring they receive tailored help. In tandem, they’ve created a digital community space for families to connect, reducing isolation and strengthening peer support. 

At Firrhill High School in Edinburgh, nearly 7% of pupils are from Forces families. The school has embraced this as a strength. With dedicated staff, visible displays, and a strong online presence, Forces life, and Forces Children’s rights, are recognised as part of the school’s identity. 

The Firrhill High School Armed Forces noticeboard, with some MotMC pennant decorations

Across Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire, “Forces Fridays” are co-ordinated by the Argyll and Bute Council Service Pupil Advisor to cultivate a sense of Forces pride. These events bring families into schools, build relationships, and celebrate children’s identities.  

Prioritising mental health and wellbeing 

The emotional toll of deployments and separations is well documented. Forces children need awareness from the adults around them and accessible, responsive support. 

Mauricewood Primary recognises the unique pressures faced by Forces children and employs a play therapist specifically for them. The results speak for themselves, with positive outcomes reported for every child who has engaged. This is early, targeted intervention at its best: creating space for children to process, express and make sense of their experiences. 

At Colinton Primary in Edinburgh, a different approach is creating similar space for emotional regulation and connection. Through a partnership with Canine Concern Scotland Trust, the school brings dogs into the school environment, offering pet therapy sessions for pupils. These moments provide children with time to unwind and regulate. 

Responding to pressure during exams and beyond 

Forres Academy in Moray acted early in response to a predictable pressure point: deployments during exam season. By putting flexible supports in place, they enabled young people to engage in their studies and balancing academic pressure with their emotional realities. 

Building understanding and inspiring action 

In this report, children and young people underscored the need for educators who understand them. Many educators believe they ‘get’ Forces life, until they realise they don’t. 

We partnered with Colinton Primary to deliver a training programme equipping teachers with knowledge about Forces children’s experiences. Before training, all staff rated their knowledge as limited. Afterwards, all reported high or expert understanding. This shift creates a foundation for better support, better relationships, and better outcomes. 

Bringing the education report’s message to life 

These projects and activities reflect the core recommendations of Camouflaged in the education system: improve visibility, strengthen transitions, build understanding, and provide targeted support. 

They also show what’s possible when systems listen and respond. There is plenty of work ahead of us, but there is also momentum building across Scotland for increased awareness, and evolving practice, around Forces life. Most importantly, children and young people from Armed Forces families are being seen as individuals with distinct experiences, strengths and needs. 

As Month of the Military Child ends, these examples give us another reason to celebrate.