Section 5 : Preparing for partnership
Activity 5.2: Going ahead
What can your school do to prepare for partnership?
In order for partnerships to be sustainable and to have the possibility of whole school involvement the head teacher must at least be aware of and approve of the partnership. In larger or secondary schools, senior management staff also need to support the idea of partnership. Head teachers and senior managers need not be actively or directly involved in the partnership but it can help if they are. If applying to Global School Partnerships for a grant, the head teachers’ signatures and/or written support are required.
In the past partnerships have often been sustained by the commitment of a single teacher in both schools. Unfortunately this means that if one teacher leaves, the partnership usually ends. In practice partnerships are often initiated by one very motivated teacher but we would urge him/her to involve other colleagues as quickly as possible. In secondary schools we recommend involving staff from a range of departments. Use the ideas and activities in this course to establish the level of interest and consensus among colleagues. Most successful long-term partnerships have at least a handful of staff in each school who contribute to the work of running the partnership.
Expectations at the beginning of a partnership are often unrealistic. It will take time to find the right partner. Then once in partnership it takes time to establish how you are going to work together and what you are going to collaborate on. The real educational benefits of a successful partnership are unlikely to happen in the first year. Global dimension partnerships are demanding. Schools need to be sure they have the capacity to enter into such a partnership. This may not be the right time.
It is important to establish what perceptions learners have before establishing a partnership. If learners have very negative or overly positive perceptions of each other then these should be addressed. [Activity 3.1 in Perceptions section]
It is important to be realistic about the financial and time costs of partnerships. Schools must be prepared to cover some of these. Think about the resources that will be required to prepare for partnership and to find a partner. Staff input is necessary to get the partnership off to a good start. There may be postage, mobile phone and internet costs incurred in finding a partner and establishing initial contact. How will these be covered? There are grants available from DGSP to allow staff exchange visits once schools are in partnership but not to make initial contact.
Agree on a broad and flexible statement among staff which outlines the sort of partnership you are interested in. Involving colleagues in this activity will help ensure that all views are represented. Your statement may well be your first contact with potential partners. Spending time on getting it right will help you make a good match and get you off to the best start. Make sure your statement is brief. Try to condense everything into one paragraph. You may wish to use this paragraph as part of your registration on Global Gateway.
Find out what support is available in your local communities and more widely. Go to Activity 5.3 in Finding a Partner section. Contact DGSP’s partnership co-ordinators (Global Schools) in the UK and in African, Asian and Caribbean countries. Teachers in the UK can also contact:
Their local Development Education Centre. These are independent local centres that raise the profile of global issues and encourage positive local action for global change.
Members of staff and learners may have already had experience of partnerships or of working and/or living in potential partner countries. Make the most of this experience.
If you are interested in establishing a global learning partnership then it is important to assess what global learning work is already happening in your school. Explore with colleagues how a new partnership might contribute to whole school policies, teaching and learning and learners’ attainment and achievement. Use the ‘How global is your school?’ checklist Activity 4.4 to identify strenths and weaknesses. Do preparatory work with learners.
Setting up a partnership committee is a good practical way of involving others and making sure the partnership is going to be between schools rather than individuals. An early practical task for the committee is writing a draft action plan which can then be circulated among colleagues.
Additional activities
Use the checklist with colleagues to help your school prepare for partnership.
DFID, Global School Partnerships
DFID, Global School Partnerships (contact details)
DFID, Partners in Learning, Building Effective Partnerships section, particularly Preparing for Partnership