Who is a ‘service pupil’ or ‘service child’?

The Service Children’s Progression (SCiP) Alliance defines a service child as:

‘a person whose parent or carer serves in the Regular Armed Forces, or as a Reservist, or has done at any point during the first 25 years of that person’s life’.

Although the SCiP Alliance uses the term ‘service child’ in its definition, other terms may be used, such as ‘service pupil’ and ‘young person from an Armed Forces family’. Study Higher primarily uses the term ‘service pupil’.

Contextual information

Across England there are nearly 80,000 service pupils, with 81% of secondary schools having at least one student in receipt of Service Pupil Premium (SPP) (government funding for schools to provide additional support for service pupils). Within the Study Higher region (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Swindon) there are 5753 service pupils in total, of which 2140 are secondary school students.

Young people from Armed Forces families are underrepresented in higher education (HE) in England compared to the national average, and research suggests that this gap has increased in recent years (Under the Radar, 2023).

Due to the nature of military family life, service pupils have a variety of experiences and needs that are influenced by multiple factors, such as mobility and deployment. These factors can have an impact on young people in various ways, for example on their attainment, wellbeing and engagement with school, in addition to HE progression.

Overall, Study Higher works to support the many service pupils within its region and tackle the HE participation gap.

Study Higher events for service pupils 

In 2021, Study Higher started the Future Focus programme to specifically support service pupils. We organise higher education (HE) campus visits and events for service pupils within the Study Higher region that provide impartial information about future options and an experience of HE.  This page will be updated with information about future events when dates are confirmed. 

NEW: Future Focus co-design report

We’re excited to share our new Future Focus co-design report titled ‘Finding the service pupil voice through co-design?’, produced with 54 service pupils across our regions in years 8-11. The findings highlight four key themes that give a fuller picture of service pupils’ lives including:

1. 1) Connections and relationships 2) Adaptation 3) Inner self and emotions and 4) Transparency, agency and assumptions.

What is co-design?

Co-design is a way of developing ideas with young people, rather than for them. Instead of professionals deciding what service pupils need, we worked directly with pupils to hear their lived experiences and let their voices shape the project.

Using creative methods — from artwork and storytelling to anonymous “ballot box” messages — pupils could express themselves even when topics were personal or complex.

This approach helped us to:

• understand the nuanced realities of military life
• see pupils as whole young people, not only “service children”
• recognise their agency, aspirations and emotional insight
• build a foundation for better, more meaningful outreach support.

Who is this report for?

This report is for anyone working with or supporting service pupils — teachers, school staff, FE/HE practitioners, or professionals wanting to improve equality of opportunity.

Download the full report to explore what pupils shared, what we learned, and how these insights can shape more meaningful support.

The impact of Future Focus 

In 2024/25, Study Higher organised two campus events for service pupils through the Future Focus programme, addressing the unique experiences of young people from Armed Forces families and supporting higher education progression. Additionally, we facilitated a co-design project with students in Years 9 and 10 focused on service pupils voice and views to help inform our future outreach. 

Since 2021 we have worked with 226 service pupils in years 9-11 and facilitated ten events with different higher education institutions providing young people with the opportunity to explore different progression pathways.

Please see below for our impact infographics for 2024/25 and 2023/24.

Applying to do a degree at college or university:

If you are a service pupil who is thinking of applying for a degree, or you are supporting a service pupil, you might find this information useful. We have highlighted some key information about UCAS, personal statements and UCAS’ ‘tick the box’, which informs HE providers of a young person’s service pupil status.

Support from HEIs for service pupils

The guidance document below details the support available that is offered across the country for students from Armed Forces families who are considering university/higher education level study.