Inspiring state-private school partnerships

I have just spent the day at a particularly inspiring conference entitled “Education at its Finest – Successful Cross-Sector Partnerships”. Organised by the Department for Education, it was attended by heads and senior leaders from over 200 schools, both state and independent, primary and secondary; some of us had long-standing experience of working with partners in the other sector and some had come to find out more and how to get involved.

Most speakers were exceptional, especially the students (ranging from years 7 to 13), who talked eloquently about what they had expected and what they had gained from their experiences. 

We heard about the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership, founded in 1992, which involves 19 educational establishments in that area. This group of local schools are determined to work together to improve the outcomes for all children in their schools. They analyse data and review the strengths and areas for improvement across all their schools each year and then work on a joint strategy to address these.