Learning communities

Since the election of the coalition government the environment which schools operate within has changed significantly but the County Council still believes that outcomes for children can be significantly improved by schools working collaboratively together.

Here you will find information relating to how we believe learning communities can work together, access information about federating with other schools, and access the local communities (LLC) data sets. We also have a link to the school place planning webpage to support place planning, school forecasting, and an analysis of pupil numbers.

• Local learning community list
• Local learning community map

• Working together to improve outcomes for children

  We believe that collaborative working is still desirable for schools if they are to continue to improve outcomes for children, ensure all schools are sustainable and viable, and leadership is appropriate to lead each school. While we have seen a significant number of schools convert to academy status, it is clear that most of these schools still want to act as community schools and operate within the LLC structure. Free schools will soon become part of the mix of schools and time will tell if they wish to work with established schools.

  We have commissioned Babcock LDP to work with LLCs to develop collaborative working.

  Supporting documents for schools to function within the LLC structure:-

  • Core values and aspirations
  • Participation protocol
  • Role description of the chair of the LLC
  • Action Plans for 2014/15

• Federation

  The County Council has been a national leader and exponent of schools establishing federations, either in pairs or as a string of schools. We believe this supports teaching and learning, and in many cases will lead to improved and sustained leadership of a high quality. In addition, there are many opportunities for schools to make efficiency savings by pooling acquisitions and back office functions. And for many small rural schools facing a fall in their roll, or changes to their levels of funding, it may be a means of maintaining a school within a community that would otherwise be unsustainable, both financially and academically.

  The following two documents may be useful when considering Federation.

  • Template framework for a Model Partnership Contract or Memorandum of Understanding
  • Realising Potential

  We have commissioned Babcock LDP to work with schools to explore federation. Further information can be found on their website.

• Learning Community Data Sets

  The LLC data sets provides schools, head teachers, governors and DCC officers a broad picture of the issues within each LLC relating to its demography, school activities, pupils, finance and standards. Most of the core information provided is published by the government as well as on the County Council’s school statistics webpages. Due to the sensitive nature of the benchmarking that has been added to the raw data the Devon Association of Primary Headteachers (DAPH) has asked that these documents should only be accessed by schools and governors after signing the Data Set Protocol and sending it to census@devon.gov.uk who will issue a username and password to appropriate people.

  We are continually looking to adjust the contents of the data sets annually to reflect the needs of schools and the changing duties and responsibilities they have. We would welcome feedback on the current data sets and suggestions for future content using our feedback form.

  Log in to view the Local Learning Community Data Sets

• Town and Geodemographic Profiles

  Town and Geodemographic Profiles have been developed by the County Council to help people have a better understanding of communities, they can be found at Devon Town Profiles.