Practical guidance for principals and school leaders There are a number of practical steps principals or school leaders may wish to consider when establishing a cross-sector partnership with another school or group of schools. While these steps are commonly highlighted by principals who have undertaken cross-sector collaboration, schools are best place to determine the needs of their partnership. Informally meet with nearby schools with similar needs Informal meetings with a number of nearby schools may be organised to discuss shared challenges and opportunities and how collaborating may address shared needs. Effective education partnerships are mutually beneficial. School partnerships will be enhanced where both schools have a shared goal, and share a collective sense of responsibility for all students, regardless of which school they attend. In discussion, it is suggested schools consider the benefits each school is seeking, and what each can bring to the partnership. The most effective partnerships can be demonstrated to contribute to the improved learning, development and wellbeing outcomes for a school’s students, and align with individual school’s strategic planning documents. Prepare a partnership proposal Principals consider preparing a partnership proposal and review it with their school council (as approver of all partnership activity), students and their families to ensure that the partnership is relevant and supported. Be clear about the nature of the partnership and the benefits it will likely bring to students. Consider discussing the partnership proposal with existing networks, or regional office, to identify other schools in the region that are working on similar initiatives. This provides an opportunity to investigate similar initiatives in the region, identify other schools that may also want to partner and to brainstorm opportunities collaboratively. Develop a shared strategy with the partner school Following initial discussions with a potential partner school, consider planning a shared strategy to achieve goals of both schools, depending on the nature and scale of the partnership. This could include: Agreement on clear and realistic objectives Agreement about how the partnership will be resourced Inviting community organisations and community members to contribute to the partnership Equitably assigned responsibilities between the partners A dispute resolution mechanism for more formal partnerships that carry ongoing legal and financial risks An evaluation process. Establish appropriate governance arrangements Depending on the nature of the partnership, schools might consider appropriate governance arrangements to manage the partnership over time. After making contact with a nearby school or group of schools about partnership opportunities, partnerships plans,
and implement strategies to address literacy challenges. Partnerships also improve relationships between primary and secondary schools, reducing student anxiety during the transition to secondary school. Community building Partnering to co-create initiatives can also present opportunities to involve and benefit the broader community. In the example above, the schools’ steering committee for the partnership involved representatives from the local newspaper, Rural North West Health, local employment networks, local council and Victoria Police. Rural North West Health also provides a speech pathologist free of charge to assist in improving literacy outcomes. All schools have participated in the ‘Bridges out of poverty program’, which aims to increase feelings of inclusion for disadvantaged members of the community. DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP – THE PROCESS Informally meet with nearby schools with similar needs Consider meeting informally with nearby schools to discuss whether they face similar educational challenges, would like to improve their teaching, share knowledge, and co-create student initiatives or projects. A partnership within a local community will be enhanced where all schools share a collective sense of responsibility for all students, regardless of which school they attend. Governance arrangements It is suggested schools consider appropriate governance arrangements to manage the partnership over time. For example, this could involve a steering committee with school and community representatives that periodically reviews the partnership and recommends changes. Maintain communication It is suggested that regular communication the partnership is maintained at school leadership level. This will help to identify opportunities to maximise benefits for all schools. Evaluate outcomes Partnerships aimed at improving outcomes can be enhanced by regular use of data to monitor impact in all schools. THINGS TO CONSIDER School resources and time A barrier to collaboration can be principal and staff time in establishing and maintaining the partnership. Consider ways to re-purpose existing meeting time to build the partnership, and share organisational tasks between schools. Maintaining distinctiveness Schools might together consider how to manage the messaging around shared PD and student initiatives, so that the community is confident that all schools can provide a range of opportunities to students. In the examples above, schools were clear and confident in articulating the distinctive qualities of each school, which were enhanced, not reduced, through collaboration. Differences between sectors There are multiple differences between sectors, such as their strategic or annual planning processes. However, if the educational challenges and priorities are shared by all schools, this lends itself to collaboration.