Little Troopers Clubs
Because every move should still feel like belonging
 
Little Troopers at School launched in 2018 with the aim of supporting education settings that have military children. The programme provides relevant, military-specific, age-appropriate resources designed to save teachers time while ensuring children get the support they need.

There are estimated over 70,000 military children in the UK education system. These children often face unique challenges and may require additional pastoral care.

Little Troopers Clubs initiative is aiming to work with settings to give military children reassurance and comfort. Wherever they move in the country, they can leave one Little Troopers Club and join another, finding the same supportive environment.

Children in Military Families Facing School Post Code Lottery

• Children in military families need specialist support which is often lacking in schools
• New in-school support programme launching nationally by charity Little Troopers
• Over 74,000 children living in Armed Forces families could be lacking appropriate in-school
  support, military children’s charity Little Troopers has said today.

While Government funding is available via the Service Pupil Premium, there is no uniform in-
school support to help students navigate their parents being deployed overseas, repeated
home moves and frequent school changes. This means students often face substantial
wellbeing and attainment challenges in comparison to their age-group peers.

To address this need, Little Troopers, a charity set up by a British Army veteran, is launching
a new project to end the current postcode lottery of in-school support for military children.
The Little Troopers Clubs initiative aims to establish a national benchmark of support, so that
whenever an Armed Forces pupil relocates, they find a consistent level of support in any
new school they join, including timely pastoral care.

Launching at Archbishop Wake CE Primary school in Dorset, with local MP Simon Hoare in
attendance, all schools will be able to access free resources to establish a Little Troopers
Club, including 25 one-hour session plans, physical club packs, digital materials, and training
sessions.

The new initiative builds on the charity’s long-standing commitment to supporting children
from military families in education through its Little Troopers at School programme, which
first launched in 2018. The new Little Troopers Clubs initiative will formalise and expand on
this success, creating a structured, nationwide model for in-school support.

Anna Broughton, Year 3 teacher at King Charles C of E Primary School in Falmouth,
which has been running a Little Troopers club for over three years, spoke about its impact.
She said: “We realised there was a need to identify our military children when some pupils
were coming into school feeling sad or unsettled. Once we started talking to them, we
discovered many had parents deployed overseas. Supported by Little Troopers resources,
we started our own club, and it’s been transformational.

“The children absolutely love coming together each week, we’ve seen their confidence grow,
they’ve formed strong friendships, and are proud to be Little Troopers. Teachers have
noticed that the clubs are having a positive effect on the children’s engagement and
attainment in class, and parents have also told us how much it means to know their children
have a space where they can feel seen.”

Daniel Carter, Headteacher at Archbishop Wake CE Primary school in Dorset, where
Little Troopers organised the national launch event on 24 th November, said: “We’re proud to
be hosting the national launch of Little Troopers Clubs. As a school with a number of military
families, we see first-hand how important stability and belonging are for our pupils. This
initiative gives schools a clear framework and fantastic resources to make a real difference
and ensure military children receive the support they deserve.”

Louise Fetigan, Founder & Operations Manager of Little Troopers, said:

“Military children face challenges most of their classmates will never experience. Every time
they move schools or say goodbye to a parent serving overseas, they have to adapt all over
again. While life in the Armed Forces can present incredible opportunities, it can also come
with unique emotional pressures.
“This is why we are calling on all schools to help mitigate this disadvantage and act as a
constant source of stability and support. We know that teachers are busy and time-
pressured, but by recognising their military pupils in this way, schools can make a truly
lasting difference. These children deserve to feel seen, supported, and proud of the
important role they play in our Armed Forces community.”

 

Little Troopers provides support for children from British military families through memory making activities, grants, signposting to specialist help and online community forums.