For many decades the Royal Caledonian Schools Trust gave the children ofarmed forces personnel the opportunity of an uninterrupted educationwhile their parents moved around the world.  But today a disruptededucation still blights the lives and futures of many such children.

 A Service family's posting usually lasts for no morethan three years, often less.  Each transfer requires the children tochange schools and results in massive disruption to their education andsocial learning.  During the eight years of their primary educationalone, Service children average at least three changes of school.

And there are resource problems for their schools. When parents are likely to be sent on temporary assignments for longperiods – to Iraq for instance – they aren't available to organise thefund-raising activities on which many schools rely to supplement theirbudget and provide equipment like books and computers.

Inrecent months we have been working with Colinton Primary School andEdinburgh University to establish the best ways of helping thesechildren. Colinton's school roll consists of 90% army children whileLeuchars Primary in Fife has 85% RAF children. With the help of theschool staff we have devised a project where we can work with theparents and teachers.

So far the project is:

Colinton School was the starting point.  We havebegun to expand the project to other schools with high percentages ofservice children, and are now working with John Logie Baird PrimarySchool in Helensburgh.  This school has a large proportion of Navy andArmy children. 

If you have any ideas or comments about this project or want more information please contact us by clicking on royal caley ,phoning us on 01923 215350, faxing us on 01923 215354 or by writing tous at Unit 75 WENTA Business Park, Colne Way, Watford, Herts WD24 7ND. We look forward to hearing from you.

About Royal Caledonian Schools Trust:

Royal Caledonian Schools Trust - The Caley, as it's affectionately known, wasestablished in 1815 to help educate the sons and daughters of Scots whowere serving, or who had served, in the armed forces, and the childrenof poor Scots in London.

Today, almost two hundred years later, the work continues in a way, which, we believe still meets our founders' intentions.

We help with educational grants for school clothing,school trips, school fees and help with living expenses for those infurther or higher education.

Our founders set no age limit so the Caley can also help with those who need a second educational chance.

The Caley also sponsors projects that benefit groupsor qualifying students, and awards scholarships to help those whodecide to use a gap year to help less fortunate communities.

Further Information:

> Royal Caledonian Schools Trust