IT’S the end of the school year at Downlands Community School in Blandford and the classrooms and hallways are buzzing with excited pupils.

But while this scene is common to schools across the county, the happiness and success of more than 200 youngsters at the school is the result of a concerted effort by staff and parents.

For Downlands is located, geographically and metaphorically, at the heart of Blandford Garrison, serving 450 military families posted to new locations – and schools - every two years.

Head teacher, Alan Frame, who leads the school with Susan Whitlock, said the school’s high pupil turnover made results from SATS exams an unreliable measure of pupil development.

“They are not reliable at all as a measure of how a school is progressing. One child leaving, or one child arriving in a class, can make a difference of eight per cent.

“If 10 children leave or arrive, that results are affected dramatically. My argument is that improving a meaningless figure is a waste of time.

“We focus on children as individuals. All the information is shared with parents, which has proven very positive,” said Mr Frame.

Although the school is administered by Dorset County Council and accepts pupils from civilian families, the majority of children come from military families.

Soldiers serving with the Royal Corps of Signals are posted to a new location every two years, leaving the school with a high turnover of pupils. Amy Tipping and her husband, Sgt Nicholas Tipping, have just won a battle to keep their children, Emily, 10, and seven-year-old Mae, at the school until the end of the summer term 2010.

“As an adult, moving home can be hard, but for children it’s especially difficult. The friends I have now are the friends I made at school.

“My children won’t have that benefit so to have been welcomed with open arms at Downlands was a huge boost,” said Amy.

Receptionist, Dawn Rogers, said admissions and departures were a feature of every day life at the school.

“This week we have had 16 phone calls from families whose children might be joining the school in September. We have sudden influxes of children which may coincide with a course starting at the camp,” said Dawn.

Lt Col (rtd) Bob Brannigan, is a governor at the school, as well as the Garrison Staff Officer, and keenly aware of the issues faced by military families.

“There is a desire within the Army to harmonise postings so that everyone is posted at the same time, around August or September,” said Mr Brannigan.

Year six teacher, Ian Denison, said: “One child left us recently one week before he was due to take his SATS exams, while another child joined one week after they had taken their SATS tests.

“We have to come up with strategies to manage those situations to make sure that a child has had their full entitlement to the curriculum whenever they leave us.

“We really feel that we are part of the Blandford Camp community.”