Every school working in partnerships: because no school can do it alone.
No school can meet the needs of all its pupils alone. Delivering the Pupil and Parent Guarantees will require schools to work in partnership with other schools and with wider children’s services, in order to offer more by working together than any one partner could alone and to provide better value for money.
Partnerships are at the heart of the 21st Century Schools vision and are essential to: extend the breadth and quality of provision; respond better to pupils' wider needs; widen the impact of our strongest school leaders, teachers and governors; widen opportunities for collaborative professional development; and deliver greater value for money.
The White Paper sets out that DCSF will:
Require governing bodies to consider shared leadership and governance before appointing a new head teacher
Reduce barriers to schools and other partners pooling funds and resources to achieve better value for money
Ensure greater recognition of partnership working by Ofsted and more co-ordinated inspections for federations and trusts
Work towards a single or common SIP for federations and shared Trusts
Look at how the self-evaluation form can be developed to reflect federation;
Fund a national support programme for schools, local authorities and governing bodies to explore and implement new models of leadership and partnership working.
Commission NCSL to carry out a federation research and development project focusing on the best models of leadership and governance in areas of particular challenge e.g. rural, primary and faith schools.
The White Paper will act to reduce the barriers to partnership working by:
Providing funding flexibilities for schools working in hard federations - to pool resources including School Business Managers
Ensuring Ofsted inspections recognise schools which take on 'system leadership' roles, including those which support less strong provision and improve children's lives beyond their own gates
Giving heads and leaders bigger pay packages through playing a wider role than leading only one school.
Information and supporting documents on the White Paper Your child, your schools, our future: building a 21st century schools system are available at www.dcsf.gov.uk/21stcenturyschoolssystem
