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Are you a serving member of the UK Armed Forces, who is Scottish or who has served in Scotland? If so, then your child is eligible to apply for a place at Queen Victoria School.

If your child comes to QVS (as we are known) he or she will be part of a pupil community made up entirely of the children of Armed Forces personnel. That sort of mutual understanding and support is invaluable, especially when parents are posted overseas or on long unaccompanied tours.

QVS is a fully boarding school funded by the Ministry of Defence to provide stability and continuity of education for the children of UK Armed Forces personnel who are Scottish or have served in Scotland. All necessary expenses for each pupil are met by the Ministry of Defence, and we have a particular mission to care for those families who could not otherwise afford boarding education.

QVS is co-educational and tri-Service. All its pupils have at least one actively serving parent when they enter the school. Our main intake is into the Scottish system’s Primary 7 year; there is no exact equivalent with the English system, but most of our P7 intake are aged ten when they join us. That said, there is a wide age range within the year groups. Many of our pupils have come from educationally disrupted backgrounds as they have moved from school to school and education system to education system, according to their families’ postings.

Because tuition and boarding costs, uniform, books, stationery and most other items of school expenditure are met by the Ministry of Defence, the financial contribution asked of parents is very small; currently it is around £1100 per annum. The contribution covers only non-essentials and helps to make boarding life more pleasant for the pupils: it allows us to provide newspapers and satellite TV in the houses, for example, as well as contributing towards the costs of transport for school outings. Service benevolent funds are very supportive of the school, and can assist those families that are unable to meet some or all of the parental contribution.

After children whose parents have been killed or injured in Service, priority in admissions is given to children whose parents are likely to be posted frequently during their child’s time at the school. We also try to allow siblings to attend QVS together.

Games and outdoor activities are important parts of life at QVS. Rugby and hockey are the main sports, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is pursued at all three levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold. We have a beautiful setting in some 45 acres of countryside on the edge of Dunblane, much of which is given over to games pitches and recreational areas.

Academically, the school regularly achieves pass rates at Standard Grade and Higher which are well above the Scottish National Averages.

The ceremonial aspects of school life are central to QVS, and marching as part of the school on one of our six Parade Sundays a year, and on Grand Day – the final day of the academic year – is one of the proudest moments of a Victorian’s life (as well as that of his or her parents’)! The Pipes, Drums and Dancers of QVS are internationally renowned, having played at tattoos both at home and abroad, most recently in the Edinburgh International Military tattoo 2008.

Dunblane is on a main rail line to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and within easy driving distance of the majority of Forces bases in Scotland. There is no substitute for visiting a school, meeting its pupils and staff and picking up the atmosphere. If you would like to know more before travelling to Dunblane to visit us, however, please request a DVD and further information, from the Admissions Secretary, Queen Victoria School, DUNBLANE FK15 0JY, or via our website: www.qvs.org.uk.