Strong schools encouraged to support weaker ones

The strongest schools and colleges in the country are being urged to help weaker schools to improve their standards by collaborating with them and exporting their formula for success.

Schools Minister, Andrew Adonis, launched a prospectus, “Academies and Trusts: Opportunities for schools, sixth-form and FE colleges”, explaining how high performing schools, sixth-form and FE colleges can do more for their communities by getting involved in academies and trusts. The Government is also providing up to £300,000 set-up funding for high-achieving schools that sponsor less successful schools to become academies to help raise their standards.

The announcement builds on Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls’ pledge in July 2007 that successful universities, colleges or schools would be exempt from paying £2 million to sponsor an academy. Good schools can support struggling ones by becoming part of an academy federation, which enables them, supported by state capital and funding, to share quality teaching and learning and their good leadership and ethos.

Andrew Adonis said: “We want more federations led bv successful schools. The evidence is that forming a lasting relationship with a weaker school gives the strong school an ideal platform to share its ‘educational DNA’ for success.

“Good schools will be able to spread educational excellence to more children in their local communities. In return partnership with an academy or within a trust offers reciprocal benefits such as staff development, sharing of expertise and best practice and expanded learning opportunities for students.”

Thirty four schools have become trust schools and 307 schools are working towards trust status, of which 218 are working in partnership with other schools to acquire a trust, enabling schools to develop formal collaborative arrangements.

Strong schools encouraged to support weaker ones

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