After lengthy efforts to clarify what seemed to be a contradiction between DCSF guidance and NASS experience we believe that, following our meeting with DCSF officers, we can confirm that though in the past Governors have been able of their own decision to shut down or close individual sites all NEW federations under new relevant legislation are safe from such a circumstance.

Federation can take several forms, all defined in the relevant legislation. Soft forms involve little more than improved forms of co-operation and some possible shared resourcing. But even hard forms, with one single governing body and one Headteacher and staff, cannot close individual sites which remain legally identified and numbered. OFSTED may or may not inspect each separately.

Management of federations is open to serious and, we hope, informed debate. Essentially a new set of learning circumstances is created under which all sites and resources theoretically are available for all staff and children, the more so in 'hard' federations. Best practice will reflect this mentality.

NASS believes that informal collaboration is potentially richer and can be externally validated to ensure it is systematic and that the planning occurs appropriately. Collaboration can be across staff specialisms, shared administration, joint study projects, use of ICT and webcams, cross-community initiatives, in-service training, Arts and sport... the possibilities are many.

In the former Ledbury cluster, for example, if a school had a vacancy, all four Heads met to discuss the advertisement and the appointment. Whilst recognising the priorities of the school with the vacancy the group would accept that in seeking a person to fill that school's needs it might be helpful , if possible, to consider the group's needs for, say, science input, or cluster Arts. All four Heads thought as one but each of the four was contributing to the discussions.

In the Belvoir schools each Head took pupils from all the schools for his or her own specialist subject interest or theme using a former school hall that had become a village hall they could book for the purpose. Even OFSTED inspectors were not allowed to disturb the pattern and had to accept that perhaps the Head of the school being inspected would be absent for one afternoon during their stay. The cluster work was seen as part of each school's curriculum planning and evaluated accordingly. The potential for informal collaboration is very significant because each school remains autonomous and individual with their own leadership character.
< Prev   Next >