Conference Agenda

In this symposium we invite participants to explore understandings and practices of partnership in the education sector from a leadership perspective. We are interested in how leaders frame and enact their roles when involved in partnerships, and furthermore, how a focus on leadership practices might enable richer understandings of partnerships in education.

Partnership is an elusive and imprecise concept (Tomlinson, 2005), and partnerships have various intentions and structures according to context as well as the organisations and individuals involved. Partnerships are imbued with positive expectations, largely based on an assumption that more can be achieved through co-operation than by individuals (Tomlinson, 2005). Within the education sector, there are long traditions of partnerships between higher education institutions (HE) and schools, reinforced in recent years by being mandated in many countries (Bernay et al, 2020). There exists a considerable body of research about these partnerships in their various forms (e.g. training, developing competence, carrying out research and bringing about improvement), but there has been little attention afforded to the role of leaders, especially within a European context (Valli et al, 2018). Outside of the education sector, emphasis has been placed on leaders as vital to the sustainability of partnerships, and their centrality in developing relationships characterised by trust, respect and dialogue (Lasker & Weiss, 2003). This symposium is, therefore, intended to shed light on leading partnerships within the education sector in different countries, providing an opportunity for exploring leadership practices within partnerships, and potentially creating a springboard for future knowledge-creation.

Why partnerships may be positive and for whom is not always clearly defined (Tomlinson, 2005). Whilst the importance of egalitarianism and mutual respect in partnerships within the education sector has been widely emphasised (Lefever-Davis et al, 2007) and despite intentions of ‘power sharing’ (Farrell et al, 2021), there are considerable barriers (Walsh & Backe, 2013). The intention of this symposium, therefore, is not to seek prescriptive or normative solutions for leading partnerships. Rather, we consider the idea of leading in partnership: understanding and working with aspects of power, formal demands and the dynamic needs of those involved. We seek a critical and hopeful approach to the question: how might educational leaders bring about positive change by leading in partnership?

The presentation of findings and reflections from four different partnership projects in Norway, Sweden and England will be an introduction to exploring how partnerships in different educational contexts are framed, organised and led. Whilst the four projects vary in purpose, organisation and outcomes, the roles and actions of leaders are equally significant. In Norway, research was conducted on partnerships for improvement between underperforming municipalities, a county governor and two universities. Findings suggest that although an egalitarian approach was mandated, there were considerable barriers. In Sweden, findings from researching a partnership between a university and a network of schools indicate two key aspects of leading partnerships: the need to lead for unpredictability, and how partnerships enable leaders to expand their understandings and practices of leading. The first project from England is a university-school partnership in which schools are being supported to develop curricula shaped by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This project reveals the efforts of leaders navigating tensions between moral obligations and the limitations of compliance. The second project from England is a case study of eight partnerships in different regions, demonstrating the importance of contextual factors in the framing and practice of leading partnerships.

The diversity in experiences and understandings presented reflect and highlight the complex nature of partnerships. The projects provide rich ground on which to develop critical perspectives and further thinking about the roles and significance of leaders in partnerships.

Time is running out to ensure a habitable planet for our children. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out principles and pathways but because governments aren’t yet doing enough, the Secretary-General has called for urgent, worldwide public action ‘to generate an unstoppable movement pushing for the required transformations’ (Guterres, António 2019). Schools have a moral duty to take a lead but many school leaders in England feel isolated, overburdened by systemic pressure for competitive performance, and torn between conflicting moral and professional priorities (Hammersley-Fletcher 2015; Variyan and Gobby 2022). Some, however, are overcoming these barriers by using the SDGs as a framework to reshape their core mission and curricula, motivating and enabling children to thrive in the present through addressing the threats to their future (Bourn and Hatley 2022). Other schools, led by passionate headteachers with a background in environmental activism, are bringing lasting transformation to their schools by reorienting and integrating priorities to make sustainability their baseline rather than an additional aim; this often requires the courage and experience to ‘game the sytem’ where national policy doesn’t sufficiently prioritise sustanability education (Dixon 2022). These exceptional schools cannot change wider policy and practice alone – but by connecting with others, and with strategic support, they could share powerful examples, generate hope and exert significant pressure on policy. Equally important is the need to support schools without exceptional, visionary leadership in CCSE. In this symposium paper, we will present our findings from interviews with 10 headteachers from English schools on their engagement with Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCSE) (Higham, Kitson and Sharp, forthcoming), and report on our ongoing work with sustainability lead teachers in a network of 10 schools. We will illustrate the moral and professional tensions headteachers feel, and the forms of defensive compliance to which it drives them in justifying the sincere but limited and piecemeal approaches to CCSE in their schools. For example, will highlight the gap between their recognition of the need for cultural change and cross-curricular integration and the current distribution of CCSE into a few subject areas and initiatives. We will then outline how sustainability leads have so far collaborated, with our support, to build morale and share ideas and best practice in order to try to build leadership for change from below.

Bourn, Douglas, and Jenny Hatley. 2022. ‘Target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals: Evidence in Schools in England’. Dixon, David. 2022. Leadership for Sustainability: Saving the Planet One School at a Time. Crown House Publishing Ltd. Guterres, António. 2019. ‘Remarks to High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development’. Presented at the UN SDG Summit, New York, NY, September. https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2019-09-24/remarks-high-level-political-sustainable-development-forum. Hammersley-Fletcher, Linda. 2015. ‘Value(s)-Driven Decision-Making: The Ethics Work of English Headteachers within Discourses of Constraint’. Educational Management Administration & Leadership 43 (2): 198–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143213494887. Variyan, George, and Brad Gobby. 2022. ‘“The Least We Could Do”?: Troubling School Leaders’ Responses to the School Strikes for Climate in Australia’. Journal of Educational Administration and History, December, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2022.2153110.

An emerging body of research shows that external support and partnerships with different actors in the surrounding community can support schools in their school improvement work and strengthen the school’s improvement capacity (Muijs et al., 2011). School leaders are vital in this work (Huber & Muijs, 2010; Sun et al., 2017). In this study, the intention is to deepen understandings of how principal leadership practices are constructed in collaborations beyond the school. Furthermore, how they relate to capacity building and school improvement at the local school level in a Swedish context. The main theoretical perspectives guiding the analysis of this study are an institutional perspective on the school as an organisation and a sensemaking perspective on principals’ and teachers’ construction of the meaning of the principals’ leadership practices. A qualitative case study design (Yin, 2011) with a purposive sampling method was used in this study, in which schools working with collaborations beyond the school within the local community in the framework of a collaborative improvement project were examined. Data was collected for three years and consisted of semi-structured individual and group interviews with principals and teachers at three schools. Qualitative content analysis was used (Miles et al., 2014). This study identifies key dimensions of principals’ practice: building professional capacity, fostering a supportive learning organization, and engaging actively in beyond-school collaborations. Principals co-created these collaborations, aligning them with schools' needs and establishing mutual goals. The principals’ roles in communicating school needs contributed to mutual trust and shared focus on improvement within the partnerships. External actors, acting as critical friends, played a pivotal role in shaping leadership practices and providing essential support. The research-based approach to working in partnership widened principals' views on educational leadership, fostering a qualitative shift in their reasoning about school development and leadership. External support, particularly through beyond-school collaborations, strengthened their formal leadership roles and professional practices. The study also revealed challenges such as time constraints, staff issues, conflicts, and turnovers affecting beyond-school collaborations. Principals’ practices raised awareness of these issues in partnerships, whilst also demonstrating how they might be navigated successfully. Collaboration beyond school not only supported distributed leadership but also encouraged teacher involvement, fostering collective responsibility for school development.

Huber, S. G., and D. Muijs. 2010. “School leadership-international perspectives.” School leadership effectiveness: The growing insight into the importance of school leadership for the quality and development of schools and their pupils 10: 57–77. Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. and Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook, Sage, Los Angeles, CA. Muijs, D., Ainscow, M., Chapman, C., & West, M. (2011). Collaboration and Networking in Education. Springer Science+Business Media B.V. Sun, Jingping, Pollock, Katina & Leithwood, Kenneth A. (2017). How School Leaders Contribute to Student Success: The Four Paths Framework [Elektronisk resurs]. Springer Yin, R.K. (2011). Qualitative Research from Start to Finish, The Guilford Press, New York, NY.

This contribution explores the potential for co-created development of organisational learning, leadership development and student learning based on collaborative partnerships between municipalities, universities, and the county governor. The partnerships in this study (project abbreviation: FUS) were initiated and funded by The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training, with the intention to raise achievement in underperforming municipalities during a period of three years. The research presented contributes to understandings of how universities, county governors, and municipalities may establish and sustain equitable partnerships, with a particular focus on the significance of leaders. The main research question was: How might equal partnership between universities, county governors, and municipalities lead to continuous development in the education sector? This study draws from the existing field of organisational and leadership research regarding national/local educational policy (English, 2011; Townsend & MacBeath, 2011), partnerships (Bradbury & Acquaro, 2022) and school development and capacity building in the educational sector (Fullan & Quinn, 2016). The overall research approach is designed as a qualitative case study (Creswell, 2013; Silverman, 2013). The data consists of 14 semi-structured interviews in total, taking place in 2023-2024, after the FUS-partnership was concluded. We interviewed advisors from universities and educational leaders at both municipality and school levels. Thematic analysis (Maguire & Delahunt, 2017) was deployed, with focal points being: understandings of intentions, competence development, organisational collaboration and capacity building. Respondents experienced learning whilst participating in the partnerships and were able to develop new understandings of each other's contexts and needs. There were, however, significant issues with continuity and communication. Turnover and unexpected challenges created uncertainty and frustration. Preliminary findings indicate that rather than rigorous planning and rigid structures, successful collaboration depends on leaders in the partner organisations jointly driving development processes which reflect the dynamic and complex nature of educational contexts. Furthermore, that there is the need for a clear focus on developing flexible organisational structures which support, rather than hinder the need to work responsively. There is limited knowledge of how universities, county governors, and municipalities may establish and sustain longitudinal and equitable partnerships. This research has brought to light a crucial set of experiences that, in turn, highlight the importance of establishing equality and mutual respect and responsibility in partnerships. We see the need for commitment within and between the partnership's participants, both in terms of investments of time and resources and in developing a shared understanding of values and intentions.

Bradbury, O. J., & Acquaro, D. (2022). School-university partnerships : innovation in initial teacher education. Springer. English, F. W. (2011). The SAGE handbook of educational leadership : advances in theory, research, and practice (2nd ed. ed.). Sage. Fontana, A., & Frey, J. H. (1994). Interviewing - The Art of Science. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research. Sage. Fullan, M., & Quinn, J. (2016). Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems. Teacher (Halifax), 54(5), 6. Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). Interview : introduktion til et håndværk (2. udg. ed.). Hans Reitzel. Maguire, M., & Delahunt, B. (2017). Doing a thematic analysis: A practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars. All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 9(3), 14. Mikecz, R. (2012). Interviewing elites: addressing methodological issues. Qualitative Inquiry, 18(6), 482-493. Townsend, T., & MacBeath, J. (2011). International Handbook of Leadership for Learning (Vol. 25). Springer. UDIR. (2014). Kravspesifikasjon for Nasjonal rektorutdanning [Qualification criteria for the national post graduate education programme for educational leaders]. Oslo: The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training

Two significant strands of education-policy reform dominate the English system: an emphasis on the power of market forces to facilitate school improvement and the development of new governance structures that may not be based around traditional localities (Author, 2020). These policy moves are both positioning schools in a competitive market and loosening the links between schools and their local communities. In this context, new forms of area-based partnerships have emerged, where schools are encouraged to work together with neighbouring schools and community partners (Author, 2018). In this paper, we report on the Area-Based Partnerships Project (ABPP), which investigates examples of collaborative working in eight regions in England. Our case-study research is framed by the following questions: What are the conditions that facilitate the establishment and sustainability of area-based school partnerships? What are the features and benefits of these partnerships? What barriers do they face? And, what are the implications for effective forms of local coordination within education systems? A multiple case study design was adopted encompassing eight area partnerships located in different regions in England. Data were generated through documentary analysis followed by interviews and focus-group seminars with key actors, including governors and Trust members, Chief Executive Officers, local- (district) authority representatives and school principals. Key factors underpinning the purposefulness of such partnerships, include the establishment of professional networks, often led by experienced school leaders; the contribution of local-authority officers; a commitment to collaborative working; and a clearly-articulated statement of principles. Our findings underline the importance of contextual factors in shaping area-based cooperation. In particular, how the historical, political, and cultural characteristics of a locality shape how and why the partnerships evolved, and the extent to which they can be seen as purposeful and sustainable. We argue that these are crucial factors that need to be acknowledged, understood, and accounted for in addressing social justice within education and wider society (see also Kerr et al, 2014). This highlights the importance of localised policy enactment (Braun et al, 2011). Notably, these partnerships have no formal status or mandate, instead drawing their influence from soft power and the social capital of local educational leaders and professionals. While the extent to which these partnerships can be seen as ‘successful’ and sustainable is variable between regions, there are lessons we can draw from this project that will inform thinking around how school systems are structured in ways that promote equity and excellence.

Author (2018) Removed for review Author (2020) Removed for review Braun, A., Ball, S. and Maguire, M. (2011). Policy enactments in schools introduction: towards a toolbox for theory and research. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 32(4), 581-583. Kerr, K., Dyson, A. & Raffo, C. (2014). Education, disadvantage and place: Making the local matter. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. Raffo, C., Dyson, A., Gunter, H.M., Hall, D., Jones, L. and Kalambouka, K. (2007). Education and Poverty: A Critical Review of Theory, Policy and Practice. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation