Gloucestershire County Council supports Service children moving schools

July 14, 2026

Service children relocated by the Armed Forces faced challenges accessing school places.

What was the situation?

Families in the Armed Forces are often required to relocate mid-year or at short notice. As a result, it can be challenging for them to secure school places in their new area, especially when the schools are oversubscribed.

They sometimes need to apply for school places before they have been allocated a permanent home address in their new area, causing challenges for both the families and the schools.

What made this Covenant disadvantage?

Due to the Armed Forces requiring families to relocate, Service children can face greater uncertainty when applying for school places than civilian children. Civilian families are less likely to need to move location at short notice due to their employment. Accessing school places can be more difficult for Service families, especially if a permanent address has not yet been confirmed.

What was done to help?

After listening to Service families’ concerns, Gloucestershire County Council decided to:

• Allow Service families to apply for school places up to two terms before the place is required.
• Allow Service families to use the garrison or military base as their address when applying for a school place, until they have their quartering address.
• Review every Service family case to see if the school’s admission limits can be exceeded, when a Service family appeals for a place at an oversubscribed school for an in-year placement.

What was the outcome?

Service families moving to Gloucestershire are now better able to secure school places, reducing the barriers caused by Service-related relocations. Service children moving to the county have the same access to a range of local schools as civilian children.

Wider information

You can read more widely about:

• Covenant disadvantage and special provision (the two types of case study in this database)
• Covenant support for the Armed Forces community: Education
• How schools can support the Armed Forces community and implement the Covenant
• How local authorities can support the Armed Forces community and implement the Covenant

Disclaimer: This case study is part of the Covenant case study database. MOD has developed the database to illustrate examples of good practice for organisations in scope of the Covenant. It serves as a guide for effective Covenant delivery, offering practical insights into achieving fairness for the Armed Forces community. Delivery of the Covenant may vary across the UK. This means there is no guarantee the solution outlined in this case study is available in your area.