The SSCE Cymru team are passionate about pupil voice. We love to listen to Service children/young people! Listening to you helps us to understand more and ensures that we involve you in any activities we organise and the resources we produce. Your voice is important! We actively encourage educators in Wales to recognise how listening can help us all change things for the better.
Jo Wolfe is the SSCE Cymru Participation Lead Officer (PLO) who is responsible for all things Service children pupil voice
The SSCE Cymru team promise to continue with our mission to make sure that every school that we know with Service children/young people on role, has a dedicated member of staff that you can talk to and feel heard. We know that Service children/young people may share some similar stories, however every journey is different, and you will all learn, grow and feel differently too. We ask schools to remember this and consider how they can help support you.
You have told us that you would like schools to help with the following things:
Article 12 – I have the right to be listened to and be taken seriously.
Experiences that had a positive impact on Service child’s (children’s) wellbeing and educational experience: 60% said making friends.
In my eyes you have hundreds of friends in different places.
SSCE Cymru enjoy collaborating with schools and our network to support Service children/young people in education in Wales. By working together we signpost school staff to a wealth of resources to provide them with everything they need to establish a club for you to make new friends and have fun!
See the information below about some of the clubs already here in Wales. There might already be one at your new school!
Mr Hill is currently the Service Children School Champion for the Service children club at Prendergast CP Primary School. Their club was formed in September 2023 and currently has 50 members!
Ms Alyson Jones is the Service Children School Champion for the Service children's club at Llanfair Primary School. The club has been running since 2021 and currently has 14 members.
Mrs Sarah Hayward, is the Service Children School Champion at Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn.
Mrs Etta Bishop leads on the Service children/young people club at Pencoed Comprehensive School. This club has been established since 2020 and currently has 14 members from across all year groups.
Mr Reg White and Ms Emma Richards, are the 'go to' Service Children School Champions for the 30-40 young people who are members of this schools club.
Ms. Jessica Pritchard is the 'go to' person for the members of the club at Ysgol Glan Clwyd. Ms. Pritchard established the club in early 2023, they currently have 9 members.
If your school has an established club, SSCE Cymru encourages its members to consider volunteering as an ambassador. As an ambassador, you will represent your school’s club and be added to a growing network of Service Children Ambassadors. You may be invited to share your experiences of growing up in an Armed Forces family with our team and the SSCE Cymru network, giving you an important voice for other Service children and young people in Wales.
Being an ambassador provides valuable experience working with educators, organisations, charities, and policy makers. When relevant opportunities arise, and your experiences align with specific needs, our team may contact the school’s Service Children School Champion to invite you to participate in various activities. These could include:
Any involvement in these activities will be arranged through the school, with the necessary consent in place beforehand.
Here is one of our ambassadors to tell you more about how they have worked with us…
“Hi and welcome to Wales! My name is Riley, and my dad served 22 years in the Royal Corp of Signals. I was first introduced to SSCE Cymru after I won the BBC young reporter competition where I got to make a report on the life of a Service child and the challenges one might face. SSCE Cymru got me together with other Service children in my area who I got to interview to help with my BBC report, this helped show what Service children go through in their daily lives. Later SSCE Cymru put me forward for a Service children's ambassador award. I was humbled by this opportunity and even more humbled when I won the Service children's ambassador award, but also the Service children's Champion award which was the highest award possible! If it wasn't for SSCE Cymru I would have never heard of this award let alone win!
SSCE Cymru continued to allow me to spread the knowledge of the struggles of being a child of a Service person. They gave me the opportunity to attend the Young Wales Festival where I got to learn about the Welsh youth parliament. I was able to talk to the Children's Commissioner for Wales and chat with her about a lot of issues and bring to her knowledge of the struggles of Service children. All the opportunities given to me by SSCE Cymru make an impact on Service children and I hope it helps them use their voice to make other Service children's lives better."
The SSCE Cymru team are delighted to share that Riley has been elected as the Welsh Youth Parliament member for Preseli Pembrokeshire!!!
The key issues that Riley will be focusing on in the Senedd are:
- Service children's education
- Equal educational funding
- ALN waiting lists
If you would like to share your experiences with our team and Riley or raise any issues affecting you as a Service child/young person, then please do contact the SSCE Cymru Participation Lead Officer, Jo Wolfe at joanna.wolfe@wlga.gov.uk
Any child or young person who:
Speak to your Service Child School Champion (SCSC) and ask them to contact the SSCE Cymru Participation Lead Officer, who will add you to our network and be in touch through your school contact to discuss activities that you might like to get involved in.
"As soon as we get used to a house, you get moved - I’ve been to four schools and moved six times."
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