School Registration

There are three basic avenues for educating school-age children while you are stationed at RAF Lakenheath or RAF Mildenhall - Department of Defense Dependent Schools Education Activity (DoDEA), British Education System or Home Schooling. The School Liaison Officer, who is located on RAF Lakenheath, is available to provide support and information related to dependent child education.

School Registration at Department of Defense Education Activity -Europe (DoDEA-E)

School Registration is an annual requirement by DoD Regulation to determine continued eligibility for school enrollment. Accurate and complete school enrollments assist Principals and district Superintendents in projecting appropriate resources to support the coming school year. School Principals across Europe work diligently to ensure the annual registration process is efficient and customer service oriented.

There is no need to enroll within DoDEA prior to your arrival. However, if you choose, you can pre-register new students at http://www.dodea.edu/Europe/enrollment/index.cfm, but you will still need to visit the school in person upon arrival to complete registration. Also, it would be beneficial to print out a copy of your online registration to have with you when you arrive. When you arrive on base, the sponsor should call the school registrar to find-out the best day and time to stop-by the school to take care of school registration. In order to finalize registration, bring a copy of the sponsor's orders, student records (if you hand-carried) and current immunization records to the school.

DoDEA-Early Years Entrance Requirements

DoDEA Early Childhood Education programs age requirements for entrance in all DoD Schools are:

• Sure Start, a child must be 4 years of age by September 1.
• Kindergarten Programs, a child must be 5 years of age by September 1.
• First Grade, a child must be 6 years of age by September 1. 

The Department of Defense operates five schools serving members based at RAF Lakenheath, RAF Feltwell and RAF Mildenhall. There are no schools on RAF Mildenhall. RAF Lakenheath has the following: Lakenheath Elementary School (Kindergarten through 3^rd Grade); Liberty Intermediate School (4^th and 5^th Grades) and Lakenheath High School (9^th through 12^th Grade). RAF Feltwell (which is 11 miles from RAF Lakenheath), has Feltwell Elementary School (Kindergarten through 5^th Grade), and Lakenheath Middle School (6^th through 8^th Grade). Because there are multiple elementary schools, elementary students are assigned to a school based on the catchment area of their residence. These schools are part of the DoDEA Europe -West District and space is required for military dependents traveling on command sponsored orders.

Before and After School Programs

To apply for a space at the RAF Mildenhall Youth Program, please go to www.militarychildcare.com.  Refer to Child Care Topic article for information about before and after school programs.

British Schooling

If you are considering the option of sending your child to a British school, contact the School Liaison Office for frequently asked questions that will help your decision-making. For detailed information on Education and Learning in Britain, the UK Government public service website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education will provide you a good place to start. All British Schools are inspected on a regular basis. You can view the Ofsted Inspection reports online. A useful website to look for schools within your catchment area is the https://www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables. It is important to start researching the British School system and registration requirements prior to your move so you can act quickly once you have your UK address established. 

British schools are different from American schools. They typically begin younger (around age 4 in Reception), and they have a more year-round school calendar. Summer is usually 6 weeks long and during that time, school staff are unavailable. Transportation is not typically provided for British schools. If your child(ren) has special needs, please contact the School Liaison Office and/or the Exceptional Family Member Program Family Support Coordinator to discuss base service availability and insurance implications.

British School Registration

Registration for British Schools is completed through your local county council. There are 3 counties in our area: Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire. Most British schools are very welcoming to American families. If possible, you should try to visit the schools you are considering in person prior to submitting your application. If you need help filling out the Registration paperwork, you can contact the local county authority or the School Liaison Office for assistance.

All 3 and 4-year olds are eligible for 15 hours of free early education per week in the UK. This applies until they reach compulsory school age (the term following their 5th birthday). The early education can take place in British nurseries, play groups, preschools or with childminders. You have to find a nursery that accepts the grant and they are available only when school is in session. Please feel free to contact Family Information Service in the county you are residing in, links for these can be found here. You can also use these sites to search for schools in your area:

• Schools Finder 
• Day Nurseries 

To apply for this program, you should visit the school in person with your child(ren). The school staff will help you fill out the grant paperwork and forward it along to the county on your behalf before the next deadline so they can receive payment.

Meals

The school lunch program is operated by AAFES.  Once registered as a DoDEA student, you can establish your child’s school lunch account at the BX customer service counter upon arrival.  Also, school meals follow USDA guidelines and families can apply to and qualify for the Free or Reduced School Lunch Program, complete an online application.

School Bus Transportation

The DoDEA School Buses are contracted through local commercial transportation companies. Registration for new students takes place year -round. If you would like for your children to ride the DoDEA School Bus, please be sure to live in a town or village that receives DoDEA bus service. If you have any questions, the bus office can be contacted at DSN 314-226-7013 or COMM 00-44-1638-527013. The towns and villages serviced by DoDEA transportation can change year-to-year, but generally, the closer you live to the base area, the more likely you are to retain service.

Important School Links/Phone Numbers

• Liberty Intermediate School: DSN 314-226-2258, COMM 00-44-1638-52-2258/5935 
• Lakenheath Middle School: DSN 314-226-7007, COMM 00-44-1638-52-7006/7007
• Lakenheath Elementary School: DSN 314-226-3721, COMM 00-44-1638-52-3721
• Feltwell Elementary School: DSN 314-226-7003/7004, COMM 00-44-1638-52-7003/7004
• Lakenheath High School: DSN 314-226-3117/3115, COMM 00-44-1638-52-3117/3115