How Boarding Schools Can Get On A List of MOD Approved Schools

For boarding schools interested in supporting Service families, understanding how inclusion on the Ministry of Defence Boarding School Database works is essential. There can sometimes be a misconception that schools apply for approval or are selected directly by the MOD. In reality, the process operates differently.

The MOD Boarding School Database is not a list of schools that have been inspected, endorsed or formally approved by the MOD. Instead, it is a record of schools currently chosen by Service personnel who claim the Continuity of Education Allowance to support their child’s boarding fees.

Inclusion on the database is therefore driven by parental choice rather than by application from schools.

When a Service family decides to place their child in a boarding school to provide stability during periods of Service related mobility, they may be eligible to claim an allowance from their employer to help with the cost. If the chosen school is not already listed on the database, the Service person can follow the process set out in the relevant MOD policy to request that the school be added.

Schools themselves do not apply directly to be placed on the database. Instead, a school’s inclusion is triggered when a Service person submits a claim to use their allowance at that school. Provided the school meets the criteria outlined in MOD policy, it can then be added to the database.

This means that schools are included based on demand from families in receipt of the allowance, not through a separate approval route or promotional request. The database simply reflects where Service families have chosen to educate their children while claiming the allowance.

It is also important for schools to understand that the MOD does not pay school fees directly. Responsibility for payment always remains with the parent. The allowance is claimed by the Service person in accordance with MOD policy and contributes towards the cost of boarding education.

For boarding schools seeking to attract Service families, the key factor is therefore engagement with parents rather than application to the MOD. If families choose your school and successfully claim the allowance in line with policy, inclusion on the MOD Boarding School Database can follow as a result of that.