Annual report of
cross-sector partnership
work between
independent
and state schools
Celebrating
Partnerships
2022
Celebrating Partnerships is published annually by the Independent Schools Council (ISC).
The Independent Schools Council brings together seven associations and four affiliate associations to represent over 1,350 independent schools. These
schools are amongst the best in the world and educate more than half-a-million children. Around half of UK independent schools are ISC schools and
these educate around 80% of all independent school children.
Independent schools save the taxpayer £3.5 billion a year from students not being in state education and contribute £13.7 billion to the economy.
Contents
Introduction
1
Department for Education celebrates school partnerships
2
Partnerships and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Independent Education
4
Charity launched to support partnership work
5
Support for Ukraine
6
Academic partnerships
8
Supporting education recovery and tackling disadvantage
10
Preparing young people for their next steps in life
11
Regional partnership groups
12
Supporting music and the arts
14
Sporting partnerships
16
Improving education through governance
18
Sharing resources
19
Supporting teacher development
20
Transforming children’s lives through bursaries
21
Editor - Emily Roberts
Editorial assistance from Alex Beynon
Issue 7
November 2022
1
Coming out of the pandemic, state-independent
school partnerships are bouncing back. Most
independent schools are involved in such
partnerships, working together with state schools for
their mutual benefit. Contributing to and sharing
with the local community is part of the charitable
ethos and purpose of ISC schools.
Promoting and encouraging effective partnerships has
been a high priority for the sector for many years and these
partnerships now benefit thousands of pupils every year, in
both independent and state schools.
Proposals to further tax independent schools run the risk of
ruining much of this, making schools less accessible and
undermining their ability to fund the important initiatives
described in this booklet. Partnerships support levelling up,
enhance academic opportunity, improve teacher training,
narrow the disadvantage gap, strengthen careers advice
and university applications. Schools working together
enhance sporting activities, unite pupils through creative
and performing arts, support wellbeing and improve school
governance. Punitive taxes would damage this work.
The most effective and successful partnerships develop
between heads and teachers really wanting to work
together, out of genuine local relationships, needs and
enthusiasms. Most of the partnerships in this booklet –
only a small sample of the whole – started with just a
couple of energetic and like-minded heads making
things happen.
State-independent partnerships are one of the great
success stories of the past 10 years. Some are small but
many are now very large, involving schools in activity seven
days a week. Many schools now have dedicated staff
whose main job is managing and promoting partnerships.
But there is some way to go. We want to see many more
children in care or on the edge of care being offered places
in good independent schools, for example. We want to see
stronger relationships between independent schools and
multi-academy trusts.
We are grateful to the Department for Education for their
continued support in promoting partnerships. Successive
ministers and civil servants have used their influence to
great effect.
Finally, we want to thank the many hundreds of teachers
who give up their time, often unpaid, often outside normal
working hours, to run these partnerships. They have
greatly enhanced the educational opportunities of
thousands of children.
Introduction
Barnaby Lenon
Chairman,
Independent Schools Council
2
Department for Education celebrates school partnerships
As minister for the school and college system, I have
the privilege of visiting a broad range of schools –
state and independent, ranging in size, ethos, and
many other distinctive characteristics. Based on what
I’ve seen recently, there are two things in particular
that I’d like to reflect on.
Firstly, since the pandemic it’s been wonderful to see the
return of collaborative activities which once again bring so
many benefits to students, teachers and communities. As
always, I’m struck by the enthusiasm shown by school
leaders and their willingness to work with others to seize
opportunities and tackle challenges. Many partnerships
have, in recent times, used technology effectively. Yet, we
have also seen its limitations. Face to face activities which
physically unite groups of students make them truly
valuable. We sorely missed them during the last two
interrupted years. I’m delighted to see that most schools
that previously engaged in partnerships aren’t just back
where they were – they’re doing even more, and they’re
being joined by an ever-growing number of schools who
want to collaborate with others.
Secondly, cross-sector partnerships have reached a level of
maturity and strategic purpose that we could rarely have
imagined a few years ago. Where once we spoke about
one-off activities between schools, today we talk about
partnerships with real impact. Partnerships are no longer
just about an afternoon of fun, but about interventions
that deliver lasting benefits. We are also seeing more well-
structured partnerships that consider governance and buy-
in, ensuring that their activities become a part of the fabric
of each school, rather than an add-on. Broad area
partnerships, which most often include most, if not all, of
the schools across a district, were once rare. I’m pleased to
see that more of these types of partnerships are forming,
further developing the model based on what has worked
for others.
I note that the 2022 ISC Census shows that there were
6,963 partnerships reported across 936 association schools
during 2021, despite many restrictions being in place
during that time. Of course, those high numbers are very
welcome. If I were to offer a challenge, it’s that numbers
only tell us half of the story. What I’m determined to
explore with you is the story of the impact of these almost
7,000 partnerships. I’m attracted by our vision for multi-
academy trusts and how that model creates families of
schools that bring about measurable benefits through
deep collaboration and a resolute focus on school
improvement. Over the next year, as we continue to build
on this work, I’d like to see a new wave of post-pandemic
3
partnerships that mirror that approach – delivering deeper,
longer-lasting and more impactful collaborations.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the tireless work of the ISC and
the associations in driving engagement on partnerships. This
work is dependent on the hard work of school leaders and
their representative bodies in supporting the cross-pollination
of good ideas. Thank you once again for demonstrating your
commitment to our Joint Understanding over the past year. I
also want to acknowledge the important work of the School
Partnerships Alliance, who continue to play a vital role in
bringing practitioners together to share their skills and
knowledge.
Baroness Barran MBE
Parliamentary under secretary of state
for the school and college system
Partnerships and the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on
Independent Education
Independent-state school partnerships are
inspiring, valuable and the range of such
partnerships is awe-inspiring. Once again, those
highlighted in this report demonstrate the value
of partnership working, with schools sharing
their expertise, resources, and capacity to the
beneft of all.
As schools are recovering from the pandemic, we
have seen all types of school responding well, re-
establishing postponed activities, arranging new
activities to overcome the efects of lockdown,
and continuing online activities which worked
well. All schools have much to gain from these
partnerships, and activities aimed at supporting
university entry and careers advice can be so
important for tackling disadvantage and
spreading opportunities.
I want to encourage all my fellow MPs: do go and
visit schools who are forming and strengthening
these mutually benefcial partnerships. You are
certain of a warm welcome, and fascinating
insights. What is more, I encourage you to speak
to all local schools and see if they can get
involved in new or existing partnership working,
to the beneft of all.
To all the schools in this report, and all those
working together across the country: thank you!
What you do is so important, working to care for
and nurture our most precious resource – our
children and young people.
Andrew Lewer MBE MP
Chairman of the APPG on
Independent Education and member
of the Education Select Committee
4
Charity launched to support partnership work
The School Partnerships Alliance (S.P.A.) is
a new charity that researches, enables
and promotes meaningful partnerships
between different schools in the state
and independent sectors for the benefit
of children across the national
education system.
Our over-arching objective is to be a force for school
improvement and the strongest pupil outcomes, informed
by research and driven by impact.
To achieve this, we are focused on:
• Raising the profile, status and access to partnership
working
• Better understanding and evaluating the impact of
partnership working
• Equipping partnership leads with a common language
and framework that will help schools at every stage of
partnership engagement and development.
There is already a significant amount of hugely important
partnership work carried out between state and
independent schools who have come together voluntarily
and as equal partners, at varying levels and by different
methods, for the mutual benefit of their pupils.
While supporting and promoting these existing school-to-
school partnerships, the S.P.A.’s delivery arm will also enable
schools to forge new and sustainable partnerships. Our
Innovation Hub will match schools as well as acting as an
incubator so that strong impactful projects can be
replicated in schools in other areas, ensuring that successful
models have wider benefit.
A schools system in which all schools, wherever they are
and whatever their size and resources, are engaged in
meaningful partnerships, with all parties learning from one
another, will help achieve the strongest outcomes for all
children, including those in disadvantaged communities.
In developing and promoting strong and successful cross-
sector partnerships, ensuring that impact assessment
outcomes and measurement are robust and meaningful
and providing advice and guidance, the S.P.A. will help
schools at every stage of partnership engagement and
development to work together and collaborate for the joint
purpose of achieving common good.
To find out more visit
www.schoolpartnershipsalliance.org.uk or contact us on
info@schoolpartnershipsalliance.org.uk
5
Sue Riley
Chief executive,
School Partnerships Alliance
(S.P.A.)
6
Support for Ukraine
“
Following the invasion of Ukraine in February this year,
schools have rallied to support those affected. These
inspiring initiatives range from donation drives and
fundraising efforts to the provision of free school places for
children and young people displaced by the war.
Russian and Ukrainian staff, parents and students all within
the ACS International Schools community came
together to collect valuable resources for those in need.
Working with partner schools, the ACS team used its
minibuses to pick up a total of more than 1,200 boxes of
supplies, which were then transported to Poland and
Ukraine with the help of a global freight firm. Every
Saturday, ACS opens its facilities to host local Ukrainian
families, offering basic, intermediate and advanced
academic English classes alongside sporting, music and
arts activities for the children. Students regularly visit the
Bells Farm refugee drop-in centre to provide clothes, fruit,
children’s toys and other essentials. Pupils also work in
the café, creche and donations area for an afternoon
each week.
Each year, Thomas’s Fulham dedicates a fortnight to
various activities to raise funds for the school’s charity. This
year, the activities were directed towards the crisis in
Ukraine. Pupils were challenged to complete the miles to
Ukraine and back by walking, running and cycling
throughout the fortnight, raising money in the process. The
parent-teacher association also supported fundraising
efforts by selling school merchandise, ice lollies and sweets,
and over the course of two weeks the school raised a total
of over £10,500. Several families from Ukraine attend the
school, along with two fully-funded refugee students.
Every Saturday during term time, The Cavendish School
hosts the charity Families4Peace at its premises, providing
a space for them to hold presentations, games and
activities for children. They also carry out English lessons
with the support of teaching staff from the school, and
help hosts and their Ukrainian guests access the support
they need. Through these community gatherings, families
have the opportunity to connect and build lifelong
friendships. Funds raised by the school also contribute to
the provision of valuable resources.
The Bedales Schools’ community has offered valuable
support to those affected by the invasion of Ukraine
through various donations and fundraising efforts. Several
Bedales families are offering accommodation as part of the
‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme, and an Emergency Refugee
Fund was launched to enable young people escaping war
and persecution to attend the Bedales Schools and access
additional language and pastoral support. Eight Ukrainian
children across a range of year groups have been
welcomed to Bedales Prep, Dunhurst and Bedales Senior,
and the school community aims to provide immediate
support for up to 10 displaced young people fleeing unrest.
Bedales also held a community day dedicated to
supporting the plight of refugees, which raised over
£50,000 for the Rural Refugee Network.
The amount raised at Bedales is
nothing short of life changing for the Rural
Refugee Network and the families it serves.
Their support means we will continue to
save lives in the future by bringing refugees
to safety in the UK, and to do the especially
important work of helping those here to
find their feet in our communities.
Julia Newton, Rural Refugee
Network founder
“
“
“We are so pleased to
have Families4Peace and its
Ukrainian School as part of our
Cavendish community. Staff, girls, and
their parents delight in sharing our
physical space as well as joining
together to raise much needed funding.
But by far the greatest joy is knowing
that our school is filled with laughter
and learning every Saturday, as it is
during the week.”
Taryn Lombard, head of
The Cavendish School
Academic partnerships
Academic partnerships are wide-ranging in nature and
provide enriching learning opportunities for all involved.
Many of these initiatives involve direct support from
pupils themselves, who play a key role in mentoring their
younger peers.
In July this year, over 200 Year 5 pupils from
seven local state schools visited King
Edward's School, Bath (KES), to
take part in a week-long programme
of enriching subject-led workshops.
This initiative, which has been
running for over 10 years, is
designed to introduce pupils to a
variety of different subjects in a
fun and interactive way. Teaching
staff at the school lead the
workshops with support from older
KES pupils, and this year’s activities
ranged from chemistry and storytelling
sessions to a Community Cricket Day led by
the games department and Bath Cricket Club.
Wolverhampton Grammar School (WGS) is passionate
about inspiring young people to read for pleasure. During
the summer term, more than 500 pupils from 12 local state
schools were invited to the school to participate in literacy
workshops with several authors and illustrator Lydia
Monks. The school also launched its fourth
Children’s Book Award, created by head
librarian Zoe Rowley, to find the most
loved children’s book of 2022 as
voted for by nine to 13-year-olds
across the region; with 120 pupils
from local state schools
attending the award ceremony
at WGS. In partnership with
Southern Connecticut State
University, the school designed
the Discover Reading Project,
intended for Year 2 pupils who have
been identified as eligible for free
school meals or pupil premium, and
classified as weak or reluctant readers,
having special educational needs or English as an
“The workshops at KES were
amazing and really helped to start
the transition towards secondary school
for our Year 5 pupils. It was fantastic to offer
new opportunities and experiences for our
children, such as the media suite sponsored
by Lenovo. As a local primary school, we
look forward to developing links with
KES further. “
Alex Dodgson,
a teacher at Bathampton
Primary School
8