Summary - This case study relates the experience of  7 diverse schools as they become a successful federation.  

Introduction: North Somerset 7 is a federation of 6 specialist schools, 1 special school, 2 training colleges and 1 leading edge school. The federation works through a committee of the governing bodies with delegated powers under the 2002 Education Act.

Focal areas: professional development for teachers; creating subject expertise; broadening and enriching experiences for pupils; and effective use of ICT technologies.

Impact on standards of teaching and learning: Although we are still early in the life of our Federation, we have already included large numbers of students with learning access to the portal.  We have also developed new 14 to 19 provision and held conferences focussing upon learning to learn styles.

Pupil group to benefit most: At present, this would be the 14 to 16 cohort who have been included in greater opportunities for personalised learning.

Impact on teachers’ professional development and support: One of the 7 schools involved, a Training School, has taken responsibility for spreading the training requirements across all 6 projects to the 7 participating schools.  In this sense, there has been extensive professional development relating to ICT, the use of the portal, teaching and learning styles and 14-19 development.

Enhancement of links between the schools and the community: The federation has had a key role in enhancing the links between schools.  As there are 2 federations which take up all of the 10 secondary schools in North Somerset, these federations work closely together as well as closely in individual federation groups.  Relationships between schools have become stronger and more open.  Dialogue is taking place on issues as wide ranging as inclusion, support for at risk students, shared sixth form provision and governor training on the portal.

Major challenges / barriers: The major challenges have been co-ordinatng the work of 7 schools without a centrally funded administration.  Because of the relatively low level of funding, to be shared between 7 institutions, it was decided that a central administrator would be too expensive and potentially too isolated from the learner.  The burden of leadership has, therefore, fallen upon the Heads themselves and this, inevitably, has led to some delays in decision making and driving the agendas forward so schools have faced their own local difficulties.  This has been exacerbated by three changes of leadership within the Federation and the expected period of settling in time where new Heads have focussed on local priorities before extending themselves into federation work.

How the challenges / barriers were overcome: All of these issues have been faced overtly and discussed by the Governors’ Steering Group.  As the federation has only one further year of funding, the next year will be a crucial one in establishing exit strategies and continued collaborative conventions. The Local Authority, who have supported, have been very keen to promote the work of both Federations in North Somerset to maximise their impact upon the EDP.  One training school, for example, has taken on much of the middle management training previously brokered by the LA and the LA has supported all schools in the federations by funding ASTs to work in joint programmes.  This came to a successful head when all 7 schools took part in a shared Inset day on 20^th October 2004, where teachers from the 7 schools travelled across the Authority to meet with other colleagues in subject areas to look at Assessment for Learning.

Emerging innovative practice: It has been helpful to look for additionality between federation programmes and those engaged by schools who are specialists, training schools and leading edge schools.  In each case where there is overlap there has also been extension in terms of driving the activity forward.  One example of this would be seen where a leading edge school, partnered with two other schools locally in an attempt to roll out the portal and create a strategic ICT strategy has now been able to (working with the LEA) extend that role out to all 7 federation schools.

For more information, please contact Graham Silverthorne, Headteacher, either by emailing gsilverthorne@gordano.n-somerset.sch.uk or by calling 01275 842 606.