Conwy
Mrs Hayward has co-ordinated the Club since September 2022 and worked hard to ensure that the school achieved their GOLD status as an Armed Forces Friendly School. In April 2024, their Service children helped us with filming some Apr24 Capturing good practice films at Ysgol Glan Clwyd and Ysgol Pen y Bryn (North Wales)
The Service children at Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn really enjoy attending their club, where they can join in with different types of activities, allowing each child the chance to do something they really enjoyed.
All activities are focused on ensuring that the club members feel welcome and creates a space for them to discuss or share their individual experiences.
Some parents have given positive feedback, saying that their children bringing home the crafts from their sessions has allowed them the opportunity to tentatively discuss and hear how their children are feeling.
The Service children club also made it possible to connect Armed Forces families within the school community. Two parents have built a friendship outside of school from realising that they were both Service families and that their situation was very much the same.
A couple of years ago, this school hosted a hugely successful mini Forces Festival. Inviting other local schools within their cluster to come together to celebrate their Service children. It was a wonderful day for the children and staff, who saw first hand the positive benefits to being in each others company and making memories.
"As soon as we get used to a house, you get moved - I’ve been to four schools and moved six times."
Aiden
"I lived in Nepal, then we went to Brunei, then Malaysia."
Ashim
"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."
Chloe
"I’m used to moving now and mixing with the children... I’ve done it so many times, it’s just a normal thing now."
Chloe
"It's ok talking over skype and that, but sometimes you just want a hug when Dad is away."
Georgia
"He signed off last week, so he will be done by the end of this year. He’s done 24 years. I find that better because he will be around a lot. He likes watching us playing rugby, so he will get to see us more."
Lewis
"I’ve enjoyed going around to lots of places around the world, it's adventurous and exciting."
Harry
"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."
Ieuan
"My mum got a chalk board and it says how many sleeps on it with chalk, every minute it’s getting closer for him coming home."
Mia
"I don’t want him to get promoted... I want him to get promoted but I don’t want to leave."
Oliver
"I might be going to boarding school so that I don’t change schools every few years."
Ryan
"I've been to seven different schools; I’ve not stayed put in one school long enough."
Shana
"He has been away for six months and he is back for two weeks, then he goes away again."
Sianed
"My parents were in the Army. My mum is a like a nurse and my dad went to the war in Afghanistan. I actually didn’t really know what he was doing so I was like, ‘Cool Dad, go there,’ but then I found out and thought, 'Thank God he came back alive.'"
Sanjog
"I’m going to a new place entirely. They don’t know anything about me and that’s a big restart and that’s really good for me."
Piaras
"I moved to Wales because my dad was posted in the Army. I thought I would get bullied and I was shy when you meet new people, but I made some friends."
Dan
Welsh Local Government Association
One Canal Parade
Dumballs Road
Cardiff
CF10 5BF
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