Forces Children's Education

Forces Children’s Education supports an inclusive learning environment for all children and young people from Armed Forces families. Whether providing information to families who are about to transition or resources to support educators, our ethos is about providing support and advice for children to thrive.

At the heart of Forces Children’s Education is Carolyn MacLeod MBE, a former teacher and Air Force wife, who brings extensive knowledge of Scotland’s education system and the Armed Forces community.

As we mark International Women’s Day, we want to celebrate Carolyn’s incredible work and the impact she continues to make on so many lives.

Meet Carolyn

As the National Education and Transitions Officer (NETO), Carolyn is the sole ‘enabler’ of support for Armed Forces children and young people in Scotland.

With more than 13,000 Forces children across Scotland’s 32 local authorities, Carolyn’s role with the Association of Directors of Education for Scotland (ADES) is to create a blueprint for education policy affecting the movement of Forces children into, away and within Scotland. 

This involves Carolyn advocating and working closely with an extensive network of organisations – ADES, the Scottish Government, Education Scotland, the Armed Forces Working Group (Service Support Champions) and the Headteachers’ Forum – to share information and best practice across the country with the aim of improving the support offered to children and young people of Armed Forces and Veterans’ families. As NETO, she also supports schools and school leaders, particularly through the Armed Forces Families Lead Officer (AFFLO) in each local authority, and a member of the Scottish Armed Forces Education Support Group (SAFESG)

A former teacher and military spouse, Carolyn has held the position as NETO (formerly National Transitions Officer NTO) since 2012. With her extensive knowledge and experience, she has been actively involved in research, including co-authoring ‘Rallying to the Flag: A Consolidated Picture of Armed Forces Children’s Education in Scotland’. This report sheds light on the challenges children and young people face in Scotland when their family is or has served in the Military. 

For her long-term dedication and commitment, Carolyn was awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal in 2015, a finalist at the prestigious Scottish Veterans Awards in 2022 for Forces Children’s Education and the organisation received the bronze award from the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) for its contribution to supporting the military community.

“The children of Armed Forces families can face significant challenges, so it is imperative that we are aware of the impact on their mental health and wellbeing as well as their education,” explained Carolyn.

“Forces Children’s Education is committed to provide valuable resources for families and educators to support children and young people. Forces children and young people are in every local authority across Scotland and we hope to assist the understanding of their various education journeys. 

“It is my intention that every family and educator can have Forces Children’s Education as an excellent first point of contact for information on transitioning in education for Armed Forces families.”

Invaluable resources

Through the NETO position, which is part-funded by the Scottish Government, Carolyn continues to provide support to families and educators and be at the forefront of research into the impact of military life on the children of Armed Forces families. 

This commitment includes running the Forces Children’s Education website – initially funded by the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Education Support Fund – which has resources and authoritative information in support of the learning journey of children and young people of Armed Forces families (Regular, Reserve and Veteran/ex-Service). We have many resources including documents, guides and links to local authorities and partnership groups available.

Meet Natalie

Read more about inspiring women in Saluting inspirational members of the Armed Forces community, where we meet Natalie Cutler who served as a radio operator in the Women’s Royal Naval Service from 1977 to 1981, predominantly in Naval Intelligence roles.

Photos

Fighter pilot: Copyright: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2022, Photographer: AS1 Emily Muir RAF Photographer
Mother: © copyright fizkes / Shutterstock.com
Teacher: © copyright Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com