The School Partnerships Alliance  was formed to build on the many formal and informal partnerships across state and independent schools, and work closely with schools to encourage collaboration and promote best partnering practice.

It aims to draw on the best examples of sustainable and impactful partnerships addressing disadvantage and promoting mutual benefit and respect across the system, and work towards partnerships that deliver for young people to become embedded into the educational landscape.

TPI was commissioned by S.P.A. to develop a ‘School Partnerships for Impact’ report to create a common framework and serve as a call-to-arms for Head Teachers and Administrators on the value and impact which can be created through effective partnering, and provide the rationale for committing the time and resources needed to maximise the impact of their collaborative relationships.

The study consisted of:

• background reading and studies of current research
• a review of over 40 examples of current school partnerships
• scoping interviews with key S.P.A. stakeholders
• interviews with the department of education, partnership practitioners in the state and independent sector and other related bodies.

The findings revealed that there is strong evidence of effective and impactful cross-sector school partnering across England and Wales, with almost all built on strong relationships and recognition of individual and collective needs and shared goals.

The study noted there is tremendous potential within the education sector to build on the experience that already exists and to create professional standards around partnering for the whole education sector. There is demand and need for tools, guidance, examples and other resources around cross-sector school partnerships and further work is planned to develop these requirements.

Acting as an Expert Partner to the S.P.A. in the early stages of the charity’s activities provides TPI with the rare opportunity to support an organisation in embedding best partnering practice from the very start of its work with members, to set partnerships up for success.