We were delighted to co-host the School Partnership Alliance Annual Conference, on Thursday 7 November, alongside the Thomas Deacon Academy and the OPEN Learning Partnership.

The event, held in the Great Hall, celebrated collaborative efforts between local state and independent schools to support and improve educational outcomes for pupils and their communities.

The conference welcomed 110 delegates from 82 educational organisations across the state and independent sectors. United by a shared commitment to strengthening educational partnerships, attendees engaged in meaningful discussions centred on advancing pupil outcomes through collaborative efforts amid an evolving educational landscape.

The day featured keynote presentations from speakers, including Lee Barron, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, who spoke about the importance of education for all, and Marcus Shepherd from E-ACT, who offered valuable insights into impact of collaborative educational initiatives.

Delegates also heard thought-provoking contributions from a pupil panel, who shared their experiences on how working together can change perspectives.

The conference fostered an environment of knowledge-sharing, encouraging schools to collaborate and learn from one another to deliver powerful partnership programmes that benefit the children they educate and their communities.

Gordon Montgomery, Head of Partnerships at Oundle said: “In today’s educational landscape, with challenges facing both the independent and state sectors, the power of local collaboration cannot be overstated. We were honoured to host the School Partnership Alliance Conference, bringing together leaders and experts who are deeply committed to this cause.”

The evening before the conference, we celebrated six years of collaborative working between schools in the Oundle, Peterborough and East Northants (OPEN) Learning Partnership. A highlight of the evening was hearing from pupils across the partnership schools who shared how much they have gained from the collaboration.

This commitment to knowledge sharing is demonstrated in the School Partnerships Alliance report, Celebrating Partnerships, in which we feature as part of the OPEN Learning Partnership. You can read more about this here.

Find out more about partnerships here: School Partnerships | Oundle School