Approach Social Work (Frontline)

Approach Social Work (formerly known as the Frontline programme) is Frontline’s fully funded three-year route into children’s social work in England, with a master’s degree. The application has five stages: registration, an application form with two competency-based questions, an online test, a half-day virtual assessment centre (a written exercise, a role play and an interview with a social worker and a care-experienced young person) and pre-employment and programme checks. The online test combines verbal reasoning and situational judgement in social-work scenarios; Frontline says you have 7 days to complete it, that it should take about 30 minutes and that it is not timed, with practice questions first. Applications for the 2027 cohort opened on 28 September 2026 and are on a rolling basis: locations close as they fill. Eligibility includes at least a predicted or obtained 2.2 in an undergraduate honours degree (or international equivalent) and GCSE English Language at grade C/4 or above (or an accepted equivalent qualification). Year one brings a bursary of £18,000 (£20,000 in London). Facts from thefrontline.org.uk, read 8 November 2026; check there for current details.