diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_and_deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/build_and_deploy.yml
index 5db9b8b0c0..16b12afb4b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_and_deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_and_deploy.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 name: Build and deploy to AKS cluster
 
 on:
+  push:
+    branches: [master]
   pull_request:
     types: [labeled, opened, reopened, synchronize]
 
@@ -13,7 +15,6 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: ${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'deploy') }}
     outputs:
       docker-image-tag: ${{ steps.build-image.outputs.tag }}
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Deploy to review environment
     concurrency: deploy_review_${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: ${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'deploy') }}
     needs: [build]
     environment:
       name: review-aks
@@ -78,3 +80,60 @@ jobs:
             | Additional Payments | <${{ env.APP_URL }}/additional-payments/claim> |
             | Student Loans       | <${{ env.APP_URL }}/student-loans/claim>       |
             | Admin               | <${{ env.APP_URL }}/admin>                     |
+
+  deploy_test:
+    name: Deploy to test environment
+    concurrency: deploy_test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' && github.event_name == 'push'
+    needs: [build]
+    environment:
+      name: test-aks
+      url: ${{ steps.deploy.outputs.environment_url }}
+    outputs:
+      environment_url: ${{ steps.deploy.outputs.environment_url }}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: azure/login@v2
+        with:
+          creds: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CREDENTIALS }}
+
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/deploy-environment
+        id: deploy
+        with:
+          environment: test-aks
+          docker-image: ${{ needs.build.outputs.docker-image-tag }}
+          azure-credentials: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CREDENTIALS }}
+
+      - name: Run migrations
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          make ci test-aks get-cluster-credentials
+          kubectl exec -n srtl-test deployment/claim-additional-payments-for-teaching-test-worker -- sh -c "DISABLE_DATABASE_ENVIRONMENT_CHECK=1 bin/prepare-database"
+
+      - name: Install Ruby 3.2.4
+        uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
+        with:
+          bundler-cache: true
+          ruby-version: 3.2.4
+
+      - name: Run smoke tests
+        shell: bash
+        run: bundle exec rspec spec/smoke -t smoke:true -b
+        env:
+          RAILS_ENV: test
+          SMOKE_TEST_APP_HOST: ${{ env.APP_URL }}
+          BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME }}
+          BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD }}
+
+      - name: Notify on failure
+        if: failure()
+        uses: rtCamp/action-slack-notify@master
+        env:
+          SLACK_COLOR: failure
+          SLACK_TITLE: Failure deploying release to test
+          SLACK_MESSAGE: Failure deploying release to test - Docker tag ${{ needs.build.outputs.docker-image-tag }}
+          SLACK_WEBHOOK: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL }}
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index d2c52351c5..8fb7666f47 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ group :test do
   gem "launchy"
   gem "rack_session_access"
   gem "simplecov", require: false
+  # Return null object for active record connection rather than raising error
+  gem "activerecord-nulldb-adapter"
 end
 
 # Windows does not include zoneinfo files, so bundle the tzinfo-data gem
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 70444a0a99..be9e96cf8e 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ GEM
       activesupport (= 7.0.8.4)
     activerecord-copy (1.1.0)
       activerecord (>= 3.1)
+    activerecord-nulldb-adapter (1.0.1)
+      activerecord (>= 5.2.0, < 7.2)
     activestorage (7.0.8.4)
       actionpack (= 7.0.8.4)
       activejob (= 7.0.8.4)
@@ -552,6 +554,7 @@ PLATFORMS
 
 DEPENDENCIES
   activerecord-copy
+  activerecord-nulldb-adapter
   application_insights!
   bootsnap (>= 1.1.0)
   brakeman
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9e3a0efe35..211bb1a52f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ review-aks: test-cluster
 	$(eval ENVIRONMENT=review-${PR_NUMBER})
 	$(eval export TF_VAR_environment=${ENVIRONMENT})
 	$(eval include global_config/review.sh)
-	echo https://claim-additional-payments-for-teaching-review-$(PR_NUMBER).test.teacherservices.cloud will be created in aks
 
 .PHONY: test-aks
 test-aks: test-cluster
diff --git a/bin/slack-alert b/bin/slack-alert
deleted file mode 100755
index 328e2651d0..0000000000
--- a/bin/slack-alert
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-ENVIRONMENT_NAME=$1
-BUILD_NUMBER=$2
-RELEASE_ID=$3
-WEBHOOK_URL=$4
-RESULT=$5
-
-RELEASE_URL="https://dev.azure.com/dfe-ssp/S118-Teacher-Payments-Service/_releaseProgress?_a=release-pipeline-progress&releaseId=$RELEASE_ID"
-
-if [ "$RESULT" == "SUCCESS" ]; then
-  MESSAGE=":ship: Build $BUILD_NUMBER is deployed to $ENVIRONMENT_NAME! $RELEASE_URL :rocket:"
-else
-  MESSAGE=":warning: Build $BUILD_NUMBER has failed for $ENVIRONMENT_NAME. More info $RELEASE_URL"
-fi
-
-
-curl -X POST -H 'Content-type: application/json' --data "{\"text\":\"$MESSAGE\"}" "$WEBHOOK_URL"
diff --git a/spec/rails_helper.rb b/spec/rails_helper.rb
index b85a68f593..8256c112ff 100644
--- a/spec/rails_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/rails_helper.rb
@@ -22,13 +22,17 @@
 #
 Dir[Rails.root.join("spec", "support", "**", "*.rb")].sort.each { |f| require f }
 
-# Checks for pending migrations and applies them before tests are run.
-# If you are not using ActiveRecord, you can remove these lines.
-begin
-  ActiveRecord::Migration.maintain_test_schema!
-rescue ActiveRecord::PendingMigrationError => e
-  puts e.to_s.strip
-  exit 1
+if ENV["SMOKE_TEST_APP_HOST"].present?
+  ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection adapter: :nulldb
+else
+  # Checks for pending migrations and applies them before tests are run.
+  # If you are not using ActiveRecord, you can remove these lines.
+  begin
+    ActiveRecord::Migration.maintain_test_schema!
+  rescue ActiveRecord::PendingMigrationError => e
+    puts e.to_s.strip
+    exit 1
+  end
 end
 
 RSpec.configure do |config|
@@ -82,6 +86,7 @@
     OmniAuth.config.mock_auth[:default] = nil
   end
 
+  config.filter_run_excluding :smoke
   config.filter_run_excluding flaky: true unless ENV["RUN_FLAKY_SPECS"] == "true"
   config.filter_run_excluding js: true unless ENV["RUN_JS_SPECS"] == "true"
   config.filter_run_excluding slow: true unless ENV["RUN_SLOW_SPECS"] == "true"
diff --git a/spec/smoke/start_a_claim_spec.rb b/spec/smoke/start_a_claim_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f334c41f75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/smoke/start_a_claim_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe "Start a claim", :smoke, type: :feature do
+  # To test this locally you will need to add to your .env file:
+  #
+  # SMOKE_TEST_APP_HOST
+  # BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME
+  # BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD
+
+  scenario "User starts a claim" do
+    visit url_with_basic_auth
+    expect(page).to have_text("Teachers: claim back your student loan repayments")
+  end
+
+  def url_with_basic_auth
+    host = ENV.fetch("SMOKE_TEST_APP_HOST")
+    path = new_claim_path(Journeys::TeacherStudentLoanReimbursement::ROUTING_NAME)
+    uri = URI.join(host, path)
+
+    uri.user = ENV.fetch("BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME", nil)
+    uri.password = ENV.fetch("BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD", nil)
+    uri.to_s
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/support/capybara.rb b/spec/support/capybara.rb
index 8c3c34aac2..fc7a14e45e 100644
--- a/spec/support/capybara.rb
+++ b/spec/support/capybara.rb
@@ -27,3 +27,13 @@
 end
 
 Capybara.automatic_label_click = true
+
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+  config.around(:each, :smoke) do |example|
+    Capybara.current_driver = Capybara.javascript_driver
+    Capybara.run_server = false
+    example.run
+    Capybara.run_server = true
+    Capybara.current_driver = Capybara.default_driver
+  end
+end
diff --git a/terraform/application/application.tf b/terraform/application/application.tf
index 86e04a9e25..9818895f82 100644
--- a/terraform/application/application.tf
+++ b/terraform/application/application.tf
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ module "web_application" {
 
   docker_image = var.docker_image
   command      = var.startup_command
+
+  replicas     = var.web_replicas
 }
 
 module "worker_application" {
diff --git a/terraform/application/config/test.tfvars.json b/terraform/application/config/test.tfvars.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31970e11c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/application/config/test.tfvars.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "cluster": "test",
+  "namespace": "srtl-test",
+  "config": "test",
+  "environment": "test",
+  "canonical_hostname": "claim-additional-payments-for-teaching-test-web.test.teacherservices.cloud",
+  "web_replicas": 2,
+  "startup_command": ["/bin/sh", "-c", "bin/rails server -b 0.0.0.0"],
+  "worker_command": ["/bin/sh", "-c", "bin/bundle exec bin/delayed_job run -n 1"]
+}
diff --git a/terraform/application/config/test_Terrafile b/terraform/application/config/test_Terrafile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4c222c13d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/application/config/test_Terrafile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+aks:
+    source:  "https://github.com/DFE-Digital/terraform-modules"
+    version: "testing"
diff --git a/terraform/application/config/test_app_env.yml b/terraform/application/config/test_app_env.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..374baa4f9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/application/config/test_app_env.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+SUPPRESS_DFE_ANALYTICS_INIT: true
diff --git a/terraform/application/database.tf b/terraform/application/database.tf
index 25dc1edae4..957b6c2b82 100644
--- a/terraform/application/database.tf
+++ b/terraform/application/database.tf
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@ module "postgres" {
   use_azure                   = var.deploy_azure_backing_services
   azure_enable_monitoring     = var.enable_monitoring
   azure_enable_backup_storage = var.enable_postgres_backup_storage
+  azure_extensions            = ["pg_trgm", "pgcrypto", "plpgsql"]
   server_version              = "16"
 }
diff --git a/terraform/application/variables.tf b/terraform/application/variables.tf
index 323f7aeab2..d2e6ae8677 100644
--- a/terraform/application/variables.tf
+++ b/terraform/application/variables.tf
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ variable "canonical_hostname" {
   description = "External domain name for the app service"
   default     = null
 }
+variable "web_replicas" {
+  description = "Number of replicas of the web app"
+  default = 1
+}
 
 locals {
   postgres_ssl_mode = var.enable_postgres_ssl ? "require" : "disable"