The Committee’s report will prove interesting to schools and education providers looking to enter into partnerships, or improve on ones already in place. Its recommendations for local authorities and Ofsted will also interest those who are keen to see how the sector may develop in coming years.
School partnerships and co-operation
Synopsis
This report is the result of an inquiry into School Partnerships and Cooperation by the Commons Education Select Committee, of which Graham Stuart MP was a member in 2013. It found that school leaders are overwhelmingly in favour of collaboration and recognise its importance in improving school standards, though just under half felt that policy did not always encourage the type of collaboration they felt would be most beneficial to their school.
Unsurprisingly the Committee found that collaboration offers benefits to all schools involved when it is done properly. Working off evidence submitted by school leaders from all areas of the education sector, the Committee recommends that the Government do more to cement collaboration in education policy. It suggests giving greater powers for Ofsted, including expanding its remit to academy chains. It also suggests it should be easier for schools to leave academy chains if they feel they would be better provided for elsewhere.
It also recommends allowing local authorities to help in broking school-to-school partnerships in order to give parents and pupils a representative voice in collaboration discussions.