MORE than half of all pupils at one Helensburgh primary school have a direct link with adults who are serving in the armed forces, according to a new report.

A profile of primary schools in the Helensburgh and Lomond area reports that 52.8 per cent of pupils at John Logie Baird Primary have a “disclosed involvement” in the armed services.

At Colgrain Primary the figure is 36.2 per cent – more than one pupil in three – and at Rhu the figure is 20.8 per cent. the next highest for the area’s mainstream primaries.

At Parklands School in Helensburgh, which caters for children with special educational needs, the figure is 37.5 per cent.

It’s the first time that figures on the link between school rolls and armed forces involvement has been disclosed, and the report – presented to members of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee on Tuesday night – states that the percentage figures are expected to rise over the next three years, as the area prepares to become host to the UK’s submarine fleet by 2020.

And council education officer Wendy Brownlie, who spoke on the report at Tuesday’s meeting, said the authority believed the actual number could be even higher.

Ms Brownlie said: “We suspect the true figure is perhaps another 200 pupils across Helensburgh and Lomond.”

The area’s schools have already received £230,000 in additional support over the last few years for teaching staff, family liaison and training opportunities, from the Armed Forces Covenant grant fund.

The report states: “Schools in Helensburgh and Lomond have again benefited from the MoD Education Fund which seeks to mitigate the effect of exceptional mobility or deployment of the armed forces community.

“Additional teachers provide vital support within our schools to armed forces children affected by mobility, resulting in frequent moves between schools or even education.

“This funding has allowed for the continued employment of a service pupil advisor, as requested by parents who wished a liaison between the armed forces community and schools. This post has been in place since February 2015.

“For the past three years, primary, secondary and third sector staff in Helensburgh and Lomond has met together to form a Professional Learning Community (PLC).

“In Helensburgh and Lomond, the number of armed forces families will continue towards 2020, with families expected to relocate from Plymouth and other areas.

“Evidence from Royal Navy Royal Marines Welfare (RNRMW), head teachers and parents suggests that some children from armed forces families may experience increased levels of emotional stress before, during and after deployment of a relative.

“This PLC has gained interest both locally and more widely. As a result the PLC will be offered for a fourth year.”

Answering a question from Lomond North councillor Maurice Corry, Ms Brownlie said the current MoD Education Support Grant for the area was due to end in June 2018, but “some funding” was likely to be provided to replace it, though the authority doesn’t yet have details of how much will be given or the mechanism to be used to allocate it.