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<p>In Financial Year 2016/2017 funding was allocated as below to pay the private school
fees of the children of FCO staff at the following schools:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>School</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total
</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cheltenham Ladies College</p></td><td><p>£61,693.23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Roedean
School</p></td><td><p>£184,744.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wycombe Abbey</p></td><td><p>£91,476</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Benenden
School</p></td><td><p>£30,492</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Malvern St. James</p></td><td><p>£30,492</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wellington
College</p></td><td><p>£121,968</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>St. Francis College</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Seven
Oaks School</p></td><td><p>£451,980</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Malvern College</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hurtwood
House</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Members of the diplomatic
service are expected to be widely deployable throughout their career. It is long-standing
practice that the FCO provides clearly defined and limited financial support to staff
to help maintain the continuity of their children's education. Many parents prefer
to take their children with them abroad, but in some of the 168 countries and territories
where the FCO has UK-based staff, we do not permit staff to take their children either
for health or security reasons. In others, local schools of an acceptable standard
are not available.</p><p>As frequent moves by staff and families between the UK and
overseas, and between posts overseas, can be disruptive to the education of the children,
the FCO provides Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA). This enables staff who meet
certain eligibility criteria to choose to provide an uninterrupted education for their
children at a British boarding school in the UK while they continue to take up postings
overseas at regular intervals during their career. CEA is a long-standing policy run
under successive governments.</p><p>The FCO refunds standard term fees up to a ceiling
which is reviewed annually. Where staff opt to send their children to more expensive
schools, the difference in cost is met privately. The maximum amount the FCO will
pay is determined by an independent survey conducted by Employment Conditions Abroad
(ECA) International, which is used by public and private sector employers whose staff
work across the world. Various factors, including availability of places (sometimes
at short notice) and proximity of other family members, influence which schools staff
choose for their children.</p><p>This provision may continue for up to 5 years following
an officer's return to the UK, provided the officer will serve overseas again at the
end of their home tour (and before the child completes their education), to allow
children to complete key stages of their education without multiple disruptions.</p><p>UK-staff
based overseas with dependent children living at Post are required to ensure that
their children receive a full-time education from the start of the school term beginning
after the child's 5th birthday, continuing until they reach school leaving age. At
overseas posts where no suitable free English language based schooling is available
(currently all countries except Australia, New Zealand and the United States), the
FCO will meet the costs of schooling, where available, at an appropriate English language
school from a list of pre-identified schools in the city of posting.</p>
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