Schools need partnership working

Released 07/03/2010

ASCL claim young people will miss out if partnerships are disincentivised

Young people will lose out if the current spirit of partnership working between schools and colleges is undermined or disincentivised by future government policy. The Association of School and College Leaders say moving away from a cohesive education service to a ‘corner shop' system of schools would be a damaging move.

In his speech to ASCL Annual Conference today John Dunford says: "The extent of partnership working means that we have reached the stage where all school and college leaders are now co-leaders of education in their area. Appointment procedures, accountability and funding mechanisms may still focus entirely on the single school, but the reality is different and it is time that these systems caught up.

"We want to see the new government build on this collaborative culture. We do not want to return to bad old days of dog-eat-dog policies in the false belief that a good dose of the market will improve standards.

"This represents a challenge as much to ASCL members as to the government. It will be a challenge to maintain the current impetus towards partnership working, firmly rooted in the moral purpose of improving the life chances of all young people in the area.

"It will be the disadvantaged who suffer if the school system splits into 20,000 autonomous units - a corner shop version of the education service and not one that this association supports," says Dunford.

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