Federations in Practice

Working Models of Every Aspect of Active Federations

People working in school federations experience a whole range of achievements and challenges when working together. Included below are a variety of practical examples, categorised by type and focus of federation, demonstrating how collaborative working has happened across the country, from individual case studies to more general updates on particular issues. These may help you reflect on your own plans and aspirations.

Additionally, many soft and hard federations need to produce specific contractual documents as a consequence of joint working or joint governance. You can also find here a number of useful documents, ranging from job descriptions for a federation co-ordinator to memorandums of understanding between partner schools.

• 1. Case Studies and Reports
• 2. Promotional Materials and Brochures
• 3. Organisational Structures
• 4. Constitutions/Memorandums of Understanding
• 5. Terms of Reference - Sub-Committees or Working Groups
• 6. Federation Jobs Contractual Information

1. Case Studies and Reports

Darlaston Collaborative consists of two specialist science colleges and two youth organisations in the West Midlands.

CONTEXT: Urban collaborative.
FOCUS: Behaviour and inclusion.
RESOURCE: Report on how their media-based collaborative projects have had success in engaging 'hard to reach' pupils under threat from exclusion.

Darlaston Collaborative report (PDF, 37 Kb)

Dudley-Pensnett is a pioneering federation of a primary and secondary school, based on one site and with a single governing body.

CONTEXT: Urban, all-age, hard federation.
FOCUS: Sharing resources and providing seamless transition between phases.
RESOURCE: Case study detailing their journey from ad-hoc collaboration to hard federation and the benefits they have realised.

Dudley-Pensnett Case Study (PDF, 18 Kb)

VIP (Valley Invicta Park) is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation, consisting of a successful grammar school and a recently merged community high school.

CONTEXT: Urban, soft federation.
FOCUS: Expanding 14-19 provision and sharing knowledge, resources and skills.
RESOURCE: Report outlining the quick wins and other activities undertaken to ensure sustainability.

VIP report (PDF, 69 Kb)

Darent (Dartford) is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation, comprising 5 secondary schools in Kent.

CONTEXT: Urban/rural, soft federation.
FOCUS: 14-19 provision, creating links with Higher Education and resource sharing.
RESOURCE: Report demonstrating the positive impacts achieved in expanding student choice over the last two years.

Darent report (PowerPoint, 339 Kb)

Callington federation comprises 3 schools, with 9 other linked feeder primaries in a loose collaborative.

CONTEXT: Rural, soft federation, with a larger encompassing collaborative.
FOCUS: Sharing resources and between phase transition.
RESOURCE: Report charting their development in stages, moving from a loose collaborative to a model of joint governance between all 12 schools.

Callington report (PowerPoint, 1.17 Mb)

South Devon/Totnes is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation comprising a secondary, primary and special school.

CONTEXT: Rural, soft federation.
FOCUS: Sharing resources and staffing across phases, curriculum and inclusion.
RESOURCE: Report outlining increasing integration of staffing, and resources and the development of common policies and timetabling.

South Devon report (PowerPoint, 144 Kb)

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2. Promotional Materials and Brochures

Many federations choose to reflect their partnerships further by publicising themselves collectively. Here are some hard copy and electronic examples:

Shrewsbury Partnership for Education and Training (SPET) comprises 7 secondary schools and 1 special school.

CONTEXT: Urban/rural, soft federation.
FOCUS: Leadership.
RESOURCE: Flyer promoting main objectives to potential students and business partners.

SPET Flyer (PDF, 32 Kb)

South Devon/Totnes is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation comprising a secondary, primary and special school.

CONTEXT: Rural soft federation.
FOCUS: Sharing resources and staffing across phases, curriculum and inclusion.
RESOURCE: Flyer for parents, staff and education partners, defining their key targets and highlighting their national and international links.

South Devon Flyer (PDF, 204 Kb)

Northampton Church of England Schools Foundation is a soft federation comprising 1 secondary and several primary schools.

CONTEXT: Urban/rural soft federation.
FOCUS: ICT, curriculum, extra-curricula activities and facilities.
RESOURCE: Prospectus, produced by The Diocese of Peterborough, detailing the development priorities for each school involved

Peterborough Diocese Prospectus (PDF, 1.6 Mb)

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3. Organisational Structures

Here are some governance structure diagrams of how the individual schools and agencies within federations are linked together:

VIP (Valley Invicta Park) is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation, consisting of a successful grammar school and a recently merged community high school.

CONTEXT: Urban, soft federation.
FOCUS: Expanding 14-19 provision and sharing knowledge, resources and skills.
RESOURCE: Diagram of governance structure. This federation has appointed a Joint Federation Committee and an Executive Head.

VIP Governance Structure (PDF, 10 Kb)

Shrewsbury Partnership for Education and Training (SPET) comprises 7 secondary schools and 1 special school.

CONTEXT: Urban/rural, soft federation.
FOCUS: Leadership.
RESOURCE: Diagram of Governance Structure. SPET's Management Group runs the 'SPET Forum' for all stakeholders, whilst maintaining individual and autonomous school governing bodies.

SPET Governance Structure (PDF, 15 Kb)

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4. Constitutions/Memorandums of Understanding

Here are some examples of the agreements produced by federations to help bind together a partnership and clarify its various roles and responsibilities:

Weston Federation (otherwise known as Weston Education Partnership - WEP) is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation joining together Weston-super-Mare's four secondary schools, two special schools, a pupil referral unit and FE college.

CONTEXT: Urban, soft federation.
FOCUS: Community development and whole town regeneration.
RESOURCE: Draft constitution and governance structure.

Federation draft constitution and governance structure (PDF, 62 Kb)

VIP (Invicta) is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation, consisting of a successful grammar school and a recently merged community high school.

CONTEXT: Urban, soft federation.
FOCUS: Expanding 14-19 provision and sharing knowledge, resources and skills.
RESOURCE: Memorandum of Understanding between each of the two schools in the federation. This sets out the main aims, shared goals, and individual responsibilities of each school.

MoU VIP Federation (PDF, 34 Kb).

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5. Terms of Reference - Sub-Committees or Working Groups

Weston Federation (Otherwise known as Weston Education Partnership - WEP) is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation joining together Weston-super-Mare's four secondary schools, two special schools, a pupil referral unit and FE college.

CONTEXT: Urban, soft federation.
FOCUS: Community development and whole town regeneration.
RESOURCE: Terms of Reference for the Senior Management Team, Strand Working Groups and Finance Sub-Committee. (See menu item 4 above for full details including draft constitution and governance structure.)

Strategic Leadership Team TOR (PDF, 37 Kb)

Finance Sub-Committee TOR (PDF, 34 Kb)

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6. Federation Jobs Contractual Information

Weston Federation (otherwise known as Weston Education Partnership - WEP) is a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot federation joining together Weston-super-Mare's four secondary schools, two special schools, a pupil referral unit and FE college.

CONTEXT: Urban, soft federation.
FOCUS: Community development and whole town regeneration.
RESOURCE: Job descriptions for the Director of Federation and Federation Strand Co-ordinators. (See menu item 4 above for full details including draft constitution and governance structure.)

Director of Federation - Job Description (PDF, 17 Kb)

For more information on the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) federation and collaboration regulations, go to the DCSF Federation Policy Team's website.

Also, take a look at the Education Improvement Partnerships' website.

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