At Edith Moorhouse Primary School, we have strong links with the RAF due to our close proximity to RAF Brize Norton. Mrs Lowry (DHT) is our Service Pupil Champion and Mrs Nicklen (LKS2) is our Assistant Service Pupil Champion. 

RAF Brize Norton is the largest RAF Station with approximately 5,800 Service Personnel, 1,200 contractors and 300 civilian staff. 

The Station is home to the RAF's Strategic and Tactical Air Transport (AT) and Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) forces, as well as host to many lodger and reserve units. 

With its mixed fleet of aircraft, RAF Brize Norton provides rapid global mobility in support of UK overseas operations and exercises, as well as AAR support for fast jet aircraft both on operations and in support of UK Homeland Defence.

 All of our pupils and staff are directly impacted by Armed Forces life, either as a serving military family, a friend to a military child or a co-worker with military family, sharing classroom experiences with them in our school.

Many of our children have experienced life in other countries with their serving families bringing a wealth of lived adventures to our school community. We at Edith Moorhouse, thrive to support our serving families as they journey through their education with us. 

As part of our Ark nurture provision, which is run by Mrs Parry and Mrs Payne, we are delighted to be able to support service families with our weekly Friendly Forces Club, held especially for military children with a deployed parent.  We provide fun activities, including games and crafting, followed by a drink and snack together.  The children really enjoy spending time with their peers, sharing similar experiences with parents going away.

In addition to being able to access the Ark Lunchtime Club, daily, all of our service children are invited to attend our Military Children's Club which is held once a fortnight, on a class rota basis.  This addition to our provision is proving to be very popular with our service children throughout the school and again, we have lots of fun playing games, doing crafting activities and enjoying a snack together with our 'Trooper Teddy' mascot.

We started our day with a whole school assembly from preschool to year 5. Guest speakers from our local secondary school, in year 10 and 11, who are service children themselves, shared stories of what it is like to be an older military child and how they found support in their friends and families. They were accompanied by their PE teacher, a former RAF PJI, also a military child, who shared his story. They finished the assembly with a fantastic Q&A session. Throughout the school staff and children embraced the day, dressed in CAMO and took part in a range of service related activities. Some of which were led by serving members of the Royal Air Force from RAF Brize Norton, including aircrew from 47 Sqn teaching drill, a PTI teaching PE and Air and Space Operations Specialists teaching years 5&6 how to plot on air charts. The day came to close with a sell out cake sale. A total of £500 was raised across the day to be split equally between our two charities - Little Troopers and SSAFA.