At a recent partnership training event a participant asked me: “if independent schools lost their charitable status, do you think they would continue to partner with state schools?”
My immediate answer was yes, of course they should – partnerships between state and independent schools bring enormous value to both partners. All schools improve by collaborating with others, especially when they plan their partnerships strategically. If it is genuine partnership which is mutually beneficial and involves activities co-created from the basis of a trusting relationship, then the suggestion that it is there to tick a public benefit box seems absurd.
Cross-sector partnerships should be encouraged simply because that’s what good schools do. All schools improve by collaborating with others, regardless of sector. If a school has a particular strength (expertise or facilities), then there should be a common-sense obligation to share it where there is a need. It might be addressing post-covid learning gaps, student well-being, enrichment, teaching shortage subjects, behaviour management or teacher professional development.
Mutually-beneficial cross-sector partnerships emerge from a trusting relationship which is hard to build if predicated on an outdated model of outreach, with unhelpful language about “private schools helping state schools”. This approach simply helps to sustain the myth that independent schools have nothing themselves to learn, and suggests to state schools that they need charity. True partnership needs to be sector-blind, or at least, sector-myopic. From each according to their means to each according to their needs… Yes, some schools might have more to give in term of time, facilities or funds. But expertise is found everywhere and can be shared on an equal footing.
- The best cross-sector partnerships bring enriching opportunities for students, widening their horizons by meeting people with diverse challenges and opportunities, life experiences and ambitions. This is important preparation for adulthood, further study, employment and helps to develop key soft skills such as resilience and confidence. Many schools see partnerships with the opposite sector as an essential part of the character curriculum.
- Teaching staff benefit from local networks of colleagues beyond their own school: sharing ideas and good practice, discussing changes to the curriculum or assessments (recently, those necessitated by the pandemic), stretching scarce teaching or professional development resources.
- Sharing facilities, supporting leaders, governance, voluntary work in the community: all facets of school life benefit from cross-fertilisation, regardless of which sector the schools are from.
How do we know if such partnerships are making a difference? It’s not easy, but increasingly, schools are looking for ways to measure the impact of their partnerships. This is helping to steer the direction of the collaboration, to justify the resources allocated to working together and to bring confidence to all involved that it is the right thing to do.
So yes, independent schools should continue their partnerships with state schools regardless of charitable status. Would they? Well, that depends if they realise how much they have to gain from them.
In these straitened times, it is more important than ever that schools are encouraged to work together for the benefit of all. Yes, we can debate VAT on school fees, a return to direct grant schools, provision of bursaries and more. But in the meantime, let’s do more of this common-sense levelling-up.
[Schools looking to explore or develop partnerships might find these resources helpful and can get in touch for in-school support.]
Further reading:
Blog by Gordon Montgomery, Oundle School: VAT on fees – a partnerships perspective
Blog by Leo Winkley, Shrewsbury School: Dear Independent State Education Partner