Education case studies: Admissions

***This Covenant case study database is still being built. If you have any case studies about admissions, suitable for adding to the database, please submit a case study.***

Admissions support

• In response to Service family concerns, Gloucestershire County Council allows Service families to apply two terms in advance of the date the school place is required.
• Service families posted to Gloucestershire are permitted to use the garrison or military base as an address for school applications until a quartering address has been obtained.
• When appealing to an oversubscribed school for an in-year placement, Gloucestershire County Council reviews every Service family case to see if the school’s admission limits can be exceeded. This ensures Service children have the same access to better schools when moving location.

Provision of information

• The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland identified a need for a bespoke website to provide information and resources specifically for Service families moving into, around and away from Scottish schools. The significant assortment of information available on various Scottish websites proved overwhelming for families to negotiate as part of their transition process. Mobile families who had experienced numerous and frequent moves requested a dedicated portal linking to local authorities and related sources of information and support, initially aligned with locations of postings, accommodation, communities, and local schools. The Forces Children’s Education website was therefore established, providing a gateway to this information, and a first point of contact for Service families. It links directly to local authorities and provides information specific to each.