Highland Council improves identification of Service children in schools

July 29, 2026

Service children were not always being identified by schools, making it more challenging to understand their needs.

What was the situation?

Schools need to know which of their children have a parent in the Armed Forces, so that those Service children can be supported. However, schools are not always aware of this, making it more challenging for schools to understand the needs of Service children, and meaning those children might not receive the specific support they need.

What made this Covenant disadvantage?

Due to the nature of life in the Armed Forces, Service children can experience challenges that differ from civilian students. For example, relocating more frequently, or changing schools in-year. If schools are unaware that a child is from a Service family, they may be less likely to provide the support that student needs.

What was done to help?

The Highland Council established the Military Liaison Group (Education). This is a partnership of local Armed Forces representatives, specialist providers, and experts. Working together through an Action Improvement Plan, the group introduced several changes to improve the identification of Service children. These included:

• Making changes to enrolment forms. These now prompt families to identify whether they are part of the Armed Forces, which Service they are from, and whether they are serving, reservist, or veteran, with a link (or hardcopy) to a leaflet that explains why the school wants to know.
• Updating the guidance for head teachers and the school handbooks, to encourage identification of Service children.

What was the outcome?

The identification of Service children within Highland schools improved, which helped the schools develop a better understanding of the Armed Forces community and its needs. Improving the identification process has enabled schools to provide more targeted support, which ensures that Service children can access the support they need.

You can read more about The Highland Council’s support for Armed Forces families here: The Military Liaison Group (Education) – Support for Armed Forces families – Highland Council

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 Covenant 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.