SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME

SCHOOLS

PARTNERSHIP

PROGRAMME

Collaborative peer review:

working together for success

Why the The Schools Partnership

Programme ?

We want all schools to be inspirational –

and the Schools Partnership Programme

raises our ambition and our ability to

challenge and support each other so that

by working together, we can create an

excellent school-led system.

Steve Munby CEO, CfBT Education Trust

Few would disagree that highly effective school-to-school

collaboration enhances pupil outcomes, but building that culture of sector-led change and partnership working is no simple task for busy school leaders.

Adopting the CfBT Education Trust model – the model itself developed in close collaboration with schools – offers the chance to truly embed lasting change and continuous improvement which permeates throughout the school. The Schools Partnership Programme reflects and goes beyond inspection frameworks.

What is the Schools Partnership

Programme?

Schools work in partnerships – their chosen clusters – and their leaders are trained in the key components of the Schools Partnership Programme model (see model overleaf) including peer review. CfBT works with partnerships to embed a culture of high quality self evaluation, rigorous peer review and school-led support and challenge.

The Schools Partnership Programme provides frameworks and tools, training and professional support, and is designed to incorporate and build on, not sideline, your existing best practice. All partnerships are affiliated with CfBT giving them direct access to CfBT’s portfolio of global activities, including research.

Don’t take our word for it...

What we all ultimately seek for our schools and the education that we provide is that they are inspiring.

This goes beyond simply an Ofsted definition of ‘Outstanding’. The CfBT Schools Partnership Programme allows us to focus on this broader and stronger concept to which we all aspire: something

that is beyond ‘Outstanding’.

Stephen Munday Chief executive

of Comberton Academy Trust, SPP co-construction partner

CfBT’s ‘Schools Partnership Programme’ approach and materials have provided an excellent framework for developing and supporting some of the key lead schools work within the Plymouth

Teaching School Alliance.

Sometimes when a school is already good or outstanding and being left alone by Ofsted, you really want that rigorous peer review and corresponding support to get even better. Doing this with respected Teaching School colleagues has been fantastic. That’s how the SPP has worked for us.

What’s great about the SPP is that you can put together a bespoke peer review that is right for you

and driven by your school improvement needs, rather than Ofsted’s.

Simon Spry Executive Headteacher,

The intelligence that CfBT and the SPP has brought to Birmingham has been invaluable. It has inspired heads to develop and own a powerful,

values-led approach to peer review. The model is characterised by rigour along with intelligent

challenge and support.

Tim Boyes Head of Queensbridge

School and Chair of the Birmingham Education Partnership

The Schools Partnership Programme has helped us to tackle some persistent issues with greater

knowledge and tenacity. It is solution focussed, empowering and intelligent. We are finding peer-to-peer review so valuable not only as a host school but

also for peer reviewers.

Sue Croft Principal, Oxford Spires

Academy

The Schools Partnership Programme is crucial to the development of much needed capacity with schools in Stoke on Trent. The peer review

programme is having significant impact on a school-led system of self-improvement within

cluster schools.

Carl Ward Chief Executive of City

Learning Trust and Executive Principal of Haywood Academy, Stoke-on-Trent

Our experience of SPP as a collaboration has been extremely powerful. It has been a great privilege to

have unlimited access in each other’s classrooms and we have been able to shine a light into all

aspects of our schools.

Helen Barker Headteacher, Sturton by

The Schools Partnership Programme

(SPP) offer

The diagram below shows how school partnerships engage through our programme in a systematic cycle of collaborative school improvement, and the value that can be added by being part of a national network.

The Schools Partnership Programme (SPP) offer

The diagram below shows how school partnerships engage through our programme in a systematic cycle of collaborative school improvement, and the value that can be added by being part of a national network.

Clusters (3-8 schools) join the Schools Partnership Programme in either September or January CfBT associates provide ongoing support to clusters Links to national network of school clusters Early access to CfBT’s research Opportunities to engage in research Links to CfBT’s international work Engagement in strategic international seminars

Developing a culture of sector-led support and challenge

Creating a rigorous peer review process to drive school improvement

Going ‘beyond’ Ofsted into inspirational International links and opportunities Professional development – at every level Creating a network of national partnerships Building a culture of coaching and

professional dialogue Key features Affiliation to CfBT PEER REVIEW 2 day training Peer review framework and tools External QA SCHOOL-TO-SCHOOL SUPPORT Improvement-champion training Online platform to facilitate collaboration SELF-EVALUATION Induction session Online audit tool

Cycle of change

Our model is:

Built on research, which underpins every aspect of the model

Built on data sharing, trust and accountability Adaptable to schools’ individual contexts

I am tremendously excited for our team to join forces with the group at CfBT Schools Partnership

Programme. SPP is exactly the approach that represents the next phase in deep school and network learning in education. Leveraging peer knowledge and expertise is the hidden gem in the

transformation of education.

Michael Fullan international

SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME

Who can join?

Why the CfBT Education Trust

programme?

All schools and education settings can access this programme, irrespective of type of school or current inspection grades. All we ask is that each cluster of schools has at least one good or outstanding school. For the outstanding school, the programme provides the challenge needed to be inspirational.

As part of the programme, Improvement Champions –

inspirational teachers and future system leaders – take on wider responsibilities by becoming experts in evidence-informed improvement strategies. System Leaders – outstanding head teachers who contribute through the programme to system leadership in the UK and internationally – play a leading role in directing school-led improvement and contributing to policy debates. And throughout the programme, a head teachers reference group which helped develop the programme, meets regularly to provide continuous support and challenge so our programme remains fully attuned to the needs of school improvement systems and leadership.

As well as all the benefits that participating school leaders have highlighted here, accessing the CfBT Education Trust Schools Partnership Programme means you are working with a highly evidence- informed organisation that invests in research.

CfBT is a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity with a clearly defined mission to transform lives by improving education around the world...We work in a commercial, businesslike way for clients, but we use any surplus generated to fund our educational research programme.

To find out more, please contact us on

[email protected] or call 0118 902 1661.

One of our CfBT associates will talk you through the joining process and answer any of your questions. New clusters can join the programme in either September or January of each year.