Service Premium
At St Mark’s C of E Junior School we have a small number of children from service families (approx. 16 in 2019) due to our proximity to Salisbury Plain and nearby military bases. We had expected these numbers to grow with the significant relocation changes that the military faces but our numbers have remained stable four five or six years.
We welcome admissions applications from service families living within our catchment area. Please follow the Local Authority timelines for normal admissions into Y3 and contact the school for more information about whether we have spaces for transferring in-year.
Contact Us:
St Mark’s C of E Junior School (Y3 to Y6) – 01722 333497 or smadmin@wyndhamstmarks.uk
To apply for a school place: https://parentportal.wiltshire.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/home
If you have younger children please contact:
Wyndham Park Infants School on 01722 334594 or wpadmin@wyndhamstmarks.uk
St Mark’s Pre-School – (aged from 2) 01722 330382 or admin@stmarks-preschool.co.uk
At St Mark’s our Service Families Champion is Mrs Linda Corfield who is a teacher at the school and part of a service family herself. She is there to support and advise our children and families.
As a first point of contact, families arriving in the area often encounter our Family Support Worker, Norma Hallett. Norma works across Wyndham Park and St Mark's and has a wealth of knowledge of other service families. She can help parents meet other families and settle quickly through support groups, signposting to other agencies and social events.
We have several systems in place to support families during deployment or prolonged separation:
- SENCo & Inclusion Team Lead - Mrs Michelle Pattison
- ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) - Mrs Catherine Jenkins
- Family Support Worker - Mrs Norma Hallett
In the past we have received extra funding through the Ministry of Defence Support Fund. This was used to train staff in support techniques and counselling, and we are now better placed to give appropriate and timely support to our service families and children as and when the need arises.
The first step is to make contact. We know ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ so we are here to listen and help where needed. To summarise, our aim is to ensure all military families have consistent and continuous provision for their children’s learning, pastoral care and special educational needs, to ensure that they progress and achieve their undoubted potential.
Useful Links
- Child Education Advisory Service (CEAS) – Information and support to Service families and eligible MOD civilians on all aspects of the education of their children in the UK and overseas
https://www.gov.uk/childrens-education-advisory-service
- Military Kids Connect (MKC) is an online community for military children (ages 6-17) that provides access to age-appropriate resources to support children dealing with the unique psychological challenges of military life.
http://militarykidsconnect.dcoe.mil/
- Network of state schools in England providing support and advice regarding Service Children and produced a handbook for schools:
Service Premium Spending
The Department for Education introduced the Service pupil premium (SPP) in April 2011 in recognition of the specific challenges children from service families face and as part of the commitment to delivering the armed forces covenant.
State schools, academies and free schools in England, which have children of service families in school years reception to year 11, can receive the SPP funding. It is designed to assist the school in providing the additional support that these children may need and is currently worth £310 per service child who meets the eligibility criteria. Service parents with children in state-funded schools in England should ensure the school is made aware of their Service status so that the School Census can be completed accurately.
Ideas and initiatives we have explored for spending money to support children including
- Learning Mentor Programme
- Homework Support Groups
- Pastoral Support e.g. ELSA time
- Additional Needs support for newly arrived
- Access to Family Support Worker
- Access to extended services e.g. play therapy
- Access to nurture group/social skills/mental health/mentoring
At present funding is being used to support
- enhanced transition (small group work, additional visits, photo books, family liaison etc)
- emotional support (1:1 or small group support to target play, social and emotional issues with nominated TAs)
- confidence-building (i.e. group projects with nominated teachers/TAs)
- training for key staff (teaching and TA) to be able to support particular learning needs (i.e. Makaton training)
- swift and easy referral (where gaps in pupil progress are identified and actioned immediately following admission).
Key:
ELSA – Emotional Literacy Support Adviser
Highly trained specialist who works full-time to support children with a range of needs e.g. social, behavioural, emotional or sometimes a combination of all of them. Our ELSA takes a ‘minister without portfolio’ approach – not tied to a class or year group but works across the school with children, staff and parents. The ELSA usually works out of the Garden Room.
FSW – Family Support Worker
Highly trained specialist who works full-time with parents primarily with advice, specific support e.g. parenting, budgeting etc and to listen. The FSW is based in her office "Norma's" in The Street – between St Mark’s and Wyndham Park.
DHT – Deputy Headteacher
Highly trained teacher and senior leader who works full-time in a variety of roles e.g. Teaching, Learning and Assessment etc.
SENCo – Special Education Needs Coordinator
A senior leader who leads the Inclusion Team (ELSA, FSW etc)