Part of the June 2015 education briefing. A session focussed on inter-school collaboration models.

1. Opportunities and challenges -
inter-school collaboration

2. Drivers for collaboration
teacher training
& education
diminishing LA
capacity/services
accountability
agenda
leadership
capacityshared services
creating safety
net
educational outcomes

3. Common models of collaboration

4. Common action
Very informal
Agree at convenience to work together on a specific
activity

5. Common action
pros conspros
cons

6. Most likely to be appropriate…
• not worked together before
• need a ‘quick fix’.
Common action

7. Memorandum of understanding
Short document setting out what you are
agreeing to do
Not legally binding
Balance between detail and brevity
Can be supported by joint committee*

8. Memorandum of understanding
pros
cons

9. Most likely to be appropriate…
• contract too formal but ‘handshake’ not sufficient
commitment
• large numbers of parties working together.
Memorandum of understanding

10. Collaboration agreement
Formal contract setting out rights and obligations
Typical terms: objectives, business planning, KPIs,
decision-marking, term and termination

11. Collaboration agreement
pros conspros
cons

12. Most likely to be appropriate…
• worked together before and now need to rely on
outputs to greater extent
• need greater commitment from parties because
activities carrying out e.g. joint buying
• sharing staff/resources.
Collaboration agreement

13. Collaboration company
Similar to collaborative agreement but also have shared
company
Company can be profit/not for profit/charitable

14. Collaboration company
Constitutional
Relationship
Contractual
Relationship
School Academy
Collaboration
Company
COLLABORATION AGREEMENTCOLLABORATION AGREEMENT

15. Collaboration company
pros
cons

16. Most likely to be appropriate…
• need greater commitment for collaboration company
• want to access benefits of limited liability and greater
shared decision-making
• want to jointly employ.
Collaboration company

17. Hard federation / academy group
One legal entity responsible for maintaining two or more
schools

18. F&GP
hard federations
School 4
School
Level
Governing Body
GB
level
T&L Staffing Premises
School 3School 2School 1
Regulations set out
rules on composition
& appointment of
GB.
Frequently
committees
established on
cross-federation
basis.
Different
approaches to
leadership – from
Executive Head
Teacher to separate
Head Teachers
reporting to Chair

19. Academy
1
multi-academy trusts
LGB
School
Level
Board of Directors
Trust
level
Members
Academy
2
Academy
3
Academy
4
LGBLGBLGB
Members – appoint
& remove directors
Board of Directors –
approve accounts,
MFA, employ staff,
hold land & overall
responsibility
Academy - SFA,
oversight of
educational
standards at local
level

20. umbrella trust
Members Members Members Members
Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors
Academy 1 Academy 2 Academy 3 Academy 4
Members
Umbrella Trust
Board of Directors

21. Hard federation/academy group
pros conspros
cons

22. Most likely to be appropriate…
• pre-existing relationship with high level of trust
• strong common ethos/culture
• want to achieve shared service type efficiency AND
collaborative at all levels including governor level.
Hard federation/academy group

23. Some barriers
• not enough time
• too complex
• GB feel pressurised
• one sided.
Unblocking the barriers

24. Unblocking
• WG to report on
– why needed
– approach
• firm but fair timeline
• clear rationale with targets.
Unblocking the barriers

25. www.education-advisors.com