Federations

The era of ‘one school one head’ is passing. New models of leadership proliferate. We asked Jean Scott, Head of Policy at The National College to give us an overview on Federation, and what it means for governors.

Leadership

“It’s sometimes felt that federations come about as part of a rescue package when a school is failing. But at the National College our feeling is that federations often constitute a very positive move which works best for the local circumstances and best addresses local needs. It’s important to remember that leadership is not a case of one size fits all.

The simplest model of leadership is when a single school is overseen by one head and one governing body. Collaborations describe a situation where two or more schools join forces but maintain separate governing bodies. Partnerships are informal agreements between schools to share resources or become more cost effective, for example, with the provision of after-schools clubs or specialist drama or sports resources. You may be surprised to hear how many schools can be linked. For example, a business manager in Northumberland is currently shared across 9 schools.

A federation

A federation, however, is a formal agreement between two, or more, schools to be led by one overall head and supported by one governing body. These might be secondary schools or primary and, in an all-through federation, both. There are many and varied reasons which might prompt a discussion about federated leadership. If raising standards is an issue, it may make perfect sense to come under the aegis of one successful head. It may be the case that a governing body has failed to appoint a new head and decides to approach a neighbouring school to see if there is a possibility of federation. Perhaps a school has a falling pupil roll and a federation, with all the benefits of sharing resources and being more cost effective, could save that school from closure.

Suggestion

The suggestion that a school becomes part of a federation may come from the Local Authority or the Head or the Governing Body itself but, in the final instance, the Governing Body would have to agree to any proposed changes in leadership. This can be a very difficult decision for governing bodies. Governors, like staff and parents, are very loyal to their school and there is a fear that becoming joined to another school will mean a loss of identity. It therefore requires some visionary thinking: is this the best way to safeguard our school?

Successful

Likewise, for the successful school and head that is approached there needs to be a sense of the wider picture; it’s not just a case of what’s right for your particular school but how things could be better for all local children and families.

Single governing body

If a federation is approved between 2 or more schools, the individual governing bodies are disbanded and a new, single governing body is created – like the phoenix from the flames.

For more information on new models of leadership: