From David Hutchings, Exeter 382594, December 02, 2008

DEVON SCHOOLS are leading the way in pioneering successful federations.

Devon County Council has five of the 28 hard federations which currently exist nationally.

And all five federations and the authority have just played host to the first ever Open Week for school leaders from around the country to see how federations work in practice.

Federations allow schools to work closely together with single governing bodies and often executive heads overseeing the schools with heads of teaching and learning in each centre.

Devon's five hard federations include the First Federation, made up of Blackpool and Chudleigh Knighton primary schools; the Chulmleigh Community School Federation made up of Chulmleigh Primary and Chulmleigh Community College; the West Exmoor Federation made up of Parracombe, Lynton and Kentisbury primary schools; the Tavistock Church School Federation made up to St Rumons Infants and St Peters Junior schools and the Dartmouth Learning Campus with is an all-through federation made up of Dartmouth Primary School and Dartmouth Community College.

The open week was part of a national project between Devon schools, Devon County Council and the National College for School Leadership (NCSL).

The county council has been working closely with headteachers and governors across Devon to advise on federations and leadership planning for schools.

Barry Bainbridge, who runs a national advisory group on federations working closely with the DCSF Innovation Unit, said: "I haven't come across any other local authority which has produced such comprehensive and accessible materials for federation and many authorities are nowhere near a coherent policy, let alone producing excellent materials to support schools.

"I have not found anything as well developed as yours."

Devon County Council's Strategic Lead for Achievement through Collaboration, Sue Clarke, and the manager of Devon Governor Services, Debbie Clapshaw, are leading the project.

They have both been asked to serve on the NCSL and DCSF expert reference groups.

And Mrs Clarke will be speaking at the DCSF regional conference in Bristol in January on federation.

Mrs Clarke said: "There has been a lot of interest nationally in the work that Devon is doing on federation.

"The Open Week gave the people who attended a chance to see how federations work in practice and I think they found it very useful and helpful.

"It was also a celebration for us of where these federations have come from and what they have achieved."

One group from Herefordshire visited Dartmouth as they are in a similar situation with the possible all-through federation of a primary and secondary school.

Dartmouth head Chris Long said: "I think they found it extremely useful and are planning to come back to Dartmouth and bring more of their school leaders with them to see what we have achieved."

NOTE FOR NEWS EDS: For more information contact Sue Clarke on

01392 383084.

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