The National Education Trust (NET) has been commissioned by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) to explore opportunities for harnessing expertise and capacity in independent schools in order to support National Challenge (NC) schools. The aim will be to broker bespoke partnerships that will have a long-term positive impact on leadership, teaching and curriculum in NC Schools.
The Offer
NET will assist interested National Challenge Advisers (NCAs) in their understanding of what the independent sector can offer in terms of curriculum enrichment, staff development and other opportunities for overall school improvement. Specific support might be brokered in science, maths and English teaching, alongside opportunities for students from 'paired schools' to work with one another in GCSE master-classes. Openings to establish longer-term partnership work, for example in shared staff development, may also be explored.
The Trust will be approaching independent secondary schools to determine whether they are willing and able to work with National Challenge Schools, what they can offer and the benefits that can accrue to the independent school partner.
The Trust will then broker meetings and collaborative arrangements with interested parties.
The formal part of the project will run to April 2011, but the aim is to establish lasting partnerships beyond the immediate needs of "National Challenge".
Advice to NCAs
This project will be particularly useful to schools which would benefit from sustained external input in relation to one or more of their school improvement priorities, especially if they are in an area where there are strong independent schools, but fewer strong state schools.
Making it happen
The project lead will be Dr Tony Ashmore, Policy Adviser to the National Education Trust(
). National Challenge Advisers and any schools interested in finding out more about the scheme are invited to contact Tony Ashmore for a discussion.
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The National Education Trust is an independent foundation dedicated to improving the quality of education nationwide, shaping its future and working to help close the achievement gap.
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