“Crumbs off the table.” That was the stark assessment a decade ago by Sir Michael Wilshaw, then head of Ofsted, about the partnership work being undertaken by independent schools.

He was certainly entitled to his opinion, but that didn’t ring true to me - it didn’t reflect the very broad, deep relationships we knew were going on in local communities up and down the country.

It was one of the reasons we decided to launch Partnerships Week, which is taking place this week from Monday to Friday. It’s a dedicated point in the calendar when schools can showcase and shout about the work that they do to improve outcomes for more young people.

The power of togetherness

It feels more crucial than ever this year; with politicians arguing about the value of independent schools, we need to display some autonomy and speak up more for ourselves by showing the very real worth of the community links that our schools foster day in, day out.

Some schools are even starting to look further afield to communities that would benefit from partnerships that are not necessarily on their doorstep; just recently, it was announced that Eton would be opening three new academies in Oldham, Dudley and Teesside.

Of course, opening academies in partnership is not a new idea, to which staff and students at enterprises such as Harris Westminster, the London Academy of Excellence and Feltham College can attest.

Partnerships can take on many forms, however, and the sponsoring of new academies is just one way that schools are working together. Many schools share expertise, making sure that the best teachers or resources from a state or independent school are available to more students.

Numerous schools encourage staff from other schools to sit on their governing body, sharing the benefits of a different perspective and building relationships.

The importance of equity

For a lot of schools, the sharing of facilities is key, allowing students to access opportunities like performing in a theatre space or achieving their national curriculum goals in subjects like swimming.

We also know that many are generous with their pastoral provision, too, which is key given the mental health crisis among our young people post-Covid.

At the heart of partnership is the quality of equity - which is similar but crucially distinct from equality. Not all schools are expected to put in the same things; instead, each school contributes according to their size, their expertise and their resources, allowing everyone to benefit while making sure nobody is overstretched. 

It is true, and you will have read, that many independent schools are facing some key financial pressures: the continued cost-of-living crisis and energy prices that many will be familiar with, along with some strains that are expected to bear on independent schools in particular, especially the policy to enact VAT on parents’ school fees and the rise in TPS contributions.

Despite this, we know that the schools involved in partnership work don’t see it as a tick-box exercise or a nice-to-have; for them, it is an essential part of who they are and what they do. Numerous heads have told me that partnerships would be the absolute last thing they would consider as part of cost-cutting initiatives.

What these cost pressures do imperil is the potential evolution of partnerships, be that starting new ones or expanding old ones. 

This is important because the best partnerships are based on serving a local need, and are run in a spirit of mutuality, with a recognition that they must be impactful.

Increasing opportunities

At an even higher level, partnerships have the opportunity to drive changes within education, shaping future generations by increasing opportunities for all. We want to make sure that this work has the opportunity to flourish.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson revealed just before the Labour Party conference this year that she was yet to visit a single independent school. This is a real shame, because I am positive that seeing the benefits of cross-sector working would showcase an optimistic, proactive alternative to a punitive tax measure that could threaten the potential of many of these projects.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank schools across the state and independent sectors for their dedication to supporting their wider communities. Teachers, school leaders, pupils and their families should be proud of all they have achieved.

After all, none of this would be possible without them. These aren’t crumbs off the table; they never were. Instead, partnership work offers a feast of opportunities to children across the country attending state and independent schools.

And we look forward to celebrating it across Partnerships Week and beyond.

Julie Robinson is chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC)