AFC0025

Written evidence submitted anonymously.

I recently returned from a 3-year overseas assignment and applied for my children (aged 8 & 9 at the time) to attend the local primary school that is 200 metres from my private residence.

I thought that the Armed Forces Covenant would give me priority to access this school.

Unfortunately, the Armed Forces Covenant gave me no priority at all and so I was offered a school some distance away requiring my wife to drive my children daily.

Given my service (25 years at the point of school application) I expected the Covenant to support me when arriving in a new area. I was disappointed to realise that this was not the case and so my children suffered further disruption to their primary education as a result of my military service.

I would welcome the enquiry finding that the Armed Forces Covenant is insufficient in supporting the educational needs of military families and so compel local education authorities to increase the priority given to military children to access schooling of their choice.

I would welcome this evidence not being published in order to protect my identity.

20th February 2025