Building successful partnerships: lessons from the Specialist Schools Achievement Programme (SSAP)

Current UK education policy favours collaborative models of school improvement. This article explores the potential for school improvement through a specific partnership initiative involving specialist secondary schools in England. Findings are based on interview data collected from nine partnerships involving 20 schools from the Specialist Schools Achievement Programme (SSAP). This article highlights key barriers and facilitators of partnership and evidence of partnership as a tool for improvement. The discussion critically reflects on wider implications of partnership in the context of specialist schooling in the UK and the role of partnership in system-wide change.