IMPROVING TOGETHER - Department of Education and Training

IMPROVING TOGETHER

A CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION

TOOLKIT FOR PRINCIPALS

School Policy and Funding

Advisory Council

CONTENTS

Minister¡¯s message .................................................................................. 3

Cross-sector collaboration ...................................................................... 4

Background .................................................................................................................. 4

Benefits of cross-sector collaboration ........................................................................... 4

Different types of collaboration ..................................................................................... 5

Practical guidance for principals and school leaders ........................... 6

Partnering to invest in shared school facilities ...................................... 8

Partnering to improve curriculum provision ........................................ 10

Partnering to improve teaching, share knowledge and co-create

initiatives ................................................................................................. 12

Partnering to expand your student community ................................... 14

Further reading ....................................................................................... 16

Melbourne Mar-18

?State of Victoria (Department of Education and Training) 2016

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2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002

Minister¡¯s message

The pursuit of excellence for every Victorian

learner, in every classroom, in every community is

what underpins our vision for the Education State.

Working together, harnessing our collective

responsibility and enthusiasm to help young

Victorians, is vital to succeeding in our journey.

Together we can help every young student

succeed regardless of where they come from or

what school they attend.

Already there is great work happening within all

school sectors to support collaboration across

schools to improve student outcomes. However,

collaboration across our school sectors is

essential to achieving system-wide improvement

in student achievement, engagement and

wellbeing.

The School Policy and Funding Advisory Council, established in 2015 to advise me on issues

impacting all school sectors, heralds a shift toward a more system-wide approach to improving

the outcomes of every Victorian student.

Comprising the managers of the government, Catholic and independent school sectors, the

Council is strongly focused on enhancing collaboration across sectors to improve educational

opportunities for students in all Victorian schools, and lifting student achievement.

This collaboration resource has been developed by the Council to show case some of the great

examples of cross-sector collaboration already occurring in Victoria. It aims to encourage schools

to consider how partnerships with schools from other sectors may support them to achieve their

own goals, and highlights some practical guidance for principals.

Through such collaboration, every part of our system can become a learning community ¨C a place

where we continually deepen our knowledge, reflect on our methods, and improve our practices

to address shared challenges.

By unleashing the combined knowledge and unique strengths of all schools in every sector, we

can provide every student with the knowledge, capabilities and attributes that will see them thrive

throughout their lives, to have the skills that industry needs, and that employers expect.

The Hon James Merlino MP

Deputy Premier

Minister for Education

Page 3 of 16

Cross-sector collaboration

BACKGROUND

Cross-sector collaboration refers to primary or secondary schools partnering with schools from

another sector (government, independent or Catholic) to deliver shared initiatives, teaching,

curriculum, or facilities for students from each school. Cross-sector collaboration enables

schools to share knowledge and expertise, address common issues and challenges and realise

shared opportunities.

It is important to distinguish between collaboration within sectors and collaboration across

different sectors.

Collaboration within sectors is not new, with many examples occurring within each sector, often

facilitated and supported by central or regional staff.

The focus of this toolkit is cross-sector collaboration. This type of collaboration has developed

organically for many Victorian schools. However, the most significant opportunities for crosssector collaboration ¨C sharing teaching expertise, enhanced curriculum provision and shared

access to facilities ¨C remain largely untapped.

Cross-sector collaboration is especially common in rural contexts, where small communities

naturally lend themselves to working across sectors to achieve whole of community objectives.

These efforts often focus on practical responses to smaller economies of scale, and lack of

proximity to other schools from the same sector.

In the face of these challenges, deeper partnerships across school sectors have arisen in rural

communities. These efforts include working together to attract and share specialist teachers,

shared delivery of professional development, and shared curriculum offerings and the costs of

transport, resources and facilities.

Drawing on consultations with principals, this toolkit provides guidance, fact sheets of best

practice case studies and resources to assist school leaders interested in partnering across

sectors to enhance provision and improve outcomes for their students.

BENEFITS OF CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION

There is strong evidence that collaboration between schools can deliver positive gains for

students and schools.1

Cross-sector collaboration can seem difficult to achieve. Some of the barriers to cross-sector

collaboration identified by schools include historical differences, declining enrolments,

competition for enrolments, timetable clashes, increased workload, distance between schools

and different school governance arrangements.

However, cross-sector collaboration can deliver significant benefits for participating schools and

students. By working together, the likelihood of achieving improved outcomes for their students

is greater than if schools acted alone.

Some of the benefits commonly identified by collaborating schools include:

1

Mary Atkinson et al. Interschool collaboration, a literature review, Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER),

2007 p. xi.

Page 4 of 16

Improved curriculum provision for students

Some schools may not have sufficient student numbers to offer every subject, or they may find it

difficult to attract specialist teachers. By working together, schools can offer a full-time teaching

load by sharing the cost of the educator, or share specialist classes or resources. Improved

provision through collaboration can enhance learning opportunities for all students in a local

community, thereby increasing student engagement and achievement.

Pooled resources

Some schools may find it difficult to engage services or access facilities owing to their small size

or location. Schools from different sectors may choose to pool resources or efforts and share

resources they would otherwise be unable to obtain. This can improve access to specialist

educational and other specialist services and supports for students and the local community,

such as health and wellbeing. This can also save on planning time and administration.

Knowledge sharing

Not all schools are located near other schools within their own sector, or share similar

educational challenges or needs with those schools. By collaborating with a school from another

sector, principals and teachers can share knowledge and build effective practice to address

similar challenges or opportunities. This might include joint professional development

opportunities and sharing approaches to teaching and learning.

Broader community benefits

Cross-sector collaboration between schools can deliver significant benefits for the local

community. Schools from different sectors may come together with the community to develop a

whole of community response to local issues of concerns, such as student absenteeism or

mental health outcomes. Collaborative initiatives can also foster a sense of shared responsibility

for the education and wellbeing outcomes of all children and young people in the local

community, through increased involvement in shared education, cultural and sporting activities.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLABORATION

As the fact sheets in this resource show, there is no preferred or ¡®right way¡¯ to collaborate ¨C

participating schools are best placed to determine the arrangements that suit their needs.

Collaboration may be time-limited, longer-term or change over time, depending on the need

being addressed. It may be relatively informal, such as for social and sporting activities or more

formal and supported by partnership or funding agreements with a governance structure in

place, such as in the case of shared facilities, which carry more risk.

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