New research highlights how federating schools can raise standards
Research involving more than 500 schools has found evidence that links collaboration through federation to school improvement.
A study commissioned by the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services has concluded that federations of two or more schools can have a positive impact on student outcomes.
Better Together- Exploratory Case Studies of Formal Collaborations between Small Rural Primary Schools
Published 24th September 2009, this study was commissioned to explore the collaborative arrangements that small rural primary schools can employ and the associated benefits and challenges.
The study was conducted in four schools in three local authorities (Norfolk, Cornwall and Northumberland) and identified a number of ways that small schools could collaborate formally, these can be summarised as; sharing arrangements for staff (for example, a school business manager), headteachers (executive headship) and governance (federation and shared trust).
Amendments to The School Governance (Federation) (England) Regulations 2007
From the 1st September 2009, amendments to the Federation Regulations 2007 come into force. The amendments affect schools who are planning to federate and require governing bodies to send the Secretary of State copies of federation proposals, within one week of publication and to notify the Secretary of State of their subsequent decision on the proposals via the Federations.mailbox@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk.
Governing Bodies will also be required to notify the Secretary of State when a school leaves a federation or a federation dissolves. Link to the ammendments: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20091556_en_1
Sample letters informing the Secretary of State when schools start the statutory consultation process for federation and when the outcome of that consultation has been decided. (Letters)
Practical approaches to Models of Leadership for 21st century schools
Information and registration for these events can be found at Models of leadership events and seminars on the National College for School Leadership website.
2009 - Small primary school federation conferences
DCSF held four Small Primary School Federation conferences between January and June 2009 in Bristol, Newcastle, London and Birmingham.
