Following the change in government in May 2010, these pages are under revision.

Creating partnerships for academies with sponsors

Once the DfE knows that the diocese wishes to become a lead sponsor the DDE will almost certainly be encouraged to work with other partners. The DfE may suggest certain partnerships and, of course, there will be your own links into that arena.

From the outset it is important to look at the diocese’s own departmental capacity and try to ensure that partnerships augment what you know you can do. Vision, ethos and Christian identity are all issues in which you will want to maintain an active interest throughout the prospective project. 

A university partner would be able to add value to the discussions on curriculum or professional development.

The FE sector is also likely to want to be a partner and will often be prompted into this role by the LA or the School Commissioner’s Office. You will want to consider this carefully.  This type of partnership maintains relationships with the local education "family".  However, an academy with a sixth form may affect the local 14-19 agenda and have an impact on post-16 education in the area.

If your vision for the new academy encompasses an element designed to assist in the reinvigoration of a community or the integration of services as part of the local Every Child Matters agenda, you may well be looking for partnerships with the Health, Police, and Youth Services like Connexions.

The options aren’t endless rather they are many and varied. The key issue is to think through the nature of the role which each organisation can play in the partnership. If the diocese is to be the lead sponsor, to what extent do you want other sponsors who will make a substantial contribution and expect a place at the governance table? Would you rather have some as partners in which case they may well make a contribution but have no expectation of involvement in governance? The distinction between sponsorship and partnership is important and the deciding factor is the level of involvement and contribution. It is better that the diocese has a strategy agreed in advance rather than wait for events to drive solutions later in the process.

Where there is less flexibility is in the matter of a financial contribution as it relates to co-sponsorship. Whilst the DfE has relaxed the strictures around the creation of an endowment fund, there is still an expectation, over time, that the diocesan sponsor will find £1.5m. This often means that the search for a co-sponsor, who can contribute significantly to the creation or maintenance of the endowment trust, is both real and earnest. Such a co-sponsor will be a significant player in terms of governance.