Leading educational partnerships

1. Leading educational partnerships What’s new? What’s difficult? What’s the reward? Professor Ann Briggs Newcastle University ann.briggs@ncl.ac.uk

2. What’s new? Partnership working is currently an anchor-point for Government policy in many public-sector areas, including education ‘The term covers a range of working arrangements, which involve multiple organisations, agencies, groups and individuals working collaboratively of co—operatively to achieve common goals or purposes’ Audit Commission, 1998 Educational partnerships have been seen as ‘the indefinable in pursuit of the unachievable’ Powell and Dowling, 2006

3. Educational partnerships • Extended schools • Children’s Centres • Federations • School improvement partnerships • Knowledge transfer partnerships • Multi-agency working • Networked learning communities • 14-19 partnerships

4. Nature of leadership Single-organisationleadership: the organisation is at the heart of a cluster of providers, working for the benefit of learners in a single institution Collaboration between single organisations: may be of mutual benefit, but each institution is led separately Collaborative leadership: leaders havejoint responsibility and accountability for a range of learner outcomes Collaborative leadership is not simply a ‘bigger model’ of single-organisation leadership

5. The nature of collaboration Degree of strategic vision Degree of group identity / area identity Enduring organisational structure of collaboration Significant professional collaborative activity Penetration below senior leader level Strategic innovation Normalisation of collaboration as part of the culture Adapted from Woods et al (2006)

6. Research base for this paper The baseline study for 14-19 education in England, funded by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in 2007-8 ‘Leading partnerships for 14-19 education:’ research funded by the Centre for Excellence in Leadership in 2006-7 Interim and final evaluations of the Flexible Curriculum Programme in Tyne and Wear, funded through Gateshead Borough Council in 2007 and 2008

7. What’s difficult? Government policy encourages single-organisation accountability and competition between providers Leaders who have largely developed their professional experience in single-institution models of leadership may find it hard to adapt to strongly collaborative ways of working Leaders at all levels of the organisation have to understand and adapt to collaboration, not just senior leaders The effect of difference between the cultures of collaborating organisations should not be underestimated

8. Schools Colleges Learning and Skills Councils Local Authorities English 14-19 Educational Partnerships Training agencies Employers Connexions Service Universities Charities

9. Contradictory Government policies Time to build partnership activity Ambivalence and fear of risk Level of trust between partners Power issues Tensions barriers ambiguities Differing cultures Multiple agendas Level of workforce development Communication issues Logistical issues Resource issues Single-institution models of strategy and operation

10. What’s the reward? No one organisation can provide for all the complex needs of learners Collaborative working brings benefits to the partner organisations and their communities, to staff and – most importantly – to learners Collaborating under conditions of mutual and joint accountability opens up new ways of conceptualising and enacting leadership

11. Benefits to organisations and staff • Partners learn from one another and share best practice • Opportunity for collective planning, increasing the strengths of each partner • Cost-effective and coherent curriculum and systems of underpinning support • Wider staff development opportunities and career structures • Improved senior and middle leadership Adapted from Arnold, 2006

12. Increased autonomy Increased curriculum range Variety of types of provision Individualised provision Potential benefits for learners Mix with other learners Difference of learning culture Focus on the learner not the organisation Specialist facilities

13. Potential benefits for learners Range of learning cultures Mix with other learners Increased learner autonomy Variety of specialist facilities and learning locations Individualised provision Increased curriculum range Social benefits of learning Increased independence Better match of learner to provision Increased stimulation Improved teacher / learner relationship Increased chance of relevance Increased aspiration Improved self-image Improved engagement Improved achievement

14. Government policy & resource Collective responsibility Understanding partner organisations Mutual trust Collaborative leadership Individual partner benefit Accepting others’ leadership Flexible systems Common purpose Compatible cultures Shared expertise Partnership energy

15. Government policy and resource Collective responsibility Mutual understanding of partner organisations Mutual trust Accepting others’ leadership Compatible cultures Aligned organisational goals Inclusive, collective decision-making Leaders and staff Organisations Focus on common purpose Flexible systems Benefit to individual partners Shared expertise Collective responsiveness Partnership energy Collaborative leadership

16. New models of leadership • Multi-faceted, not generic • Based on mutual trust and experience of partnership working at all levels of leadership • Democratic and facilitative, not competitive and hierarchical • Focus on equity, mutuality and shared purpose