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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><p> </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>Tonbridge
School</p></td><td><p>£30,492</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Harrow School</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Winchester
College</p></td><td><p>£276,656.90</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Charterhouse School</p></td><td><p>£92,142.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Eton
College</p></td><td><p>£122,478.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Westminster School</p></td><td><p>£52,441.90</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rugby
School</p></td><td><p>£183,186.34</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>St. Lawrence College</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Brentwood
School</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Millfield School</p></td><td><p>£91,309.50</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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