Schools Partnership Programme
Building stronger schools in England and Wales through peer review, collaboration, and sustainable improvement
What is the Schools Partnership Programme?
The Schools Partnership Programme (SPP) is a structured, evidence-informed school improvement programme in England and Wales, created and delivered by EDT. It brings schools together to strengthen leadership, improve practice and drive sustainable improvement through peer review and the creation of truly collaborative partnerships.
Designed for school leaders, middle leaders, and teachers, SPP helps schools build expertise, embed collaborative practice, and develop the confidence and capability to sustain improvement independently.
Find out what makes SPP different from other school improvement initiatives in the following video.
What does the Schools Partnership Programme aim to achieve?
We developed the Schools Partnership Programme over 12 years ago for an education sector going through a major shift, which saw responsibility for school improvement moving from local government to schools themselves. This required a more effective and collaborative form of accountability between schools.
Research consistently shows that schools improve faster and more effectively when they work together. The Schools Partnership Programme (SPP) was designed to make that collaboration meaningful, sustainable and impactful.
By building the capacity of schools and partnerships to lead their own improvement, SPP creates lasting change driven by the people who know their schools best. Underpinned by non-judgemental enquiry, honest dialogue and shared accountability, the programme empowers teachers and leaders to collaborate with confidence, strengthen professional practice, and improve outcomes for all learners.
What are the benefits of the Schools Partnership Programme?
Builds leadership capacity across schools and trusts
Develops robust peer review skills and processes
Embeds collaborative school improvement practices
Strengthens accountability and shared responsibility
Creates sustainable, school-led improvement systems
What does the programme journey look like?
The impact of the Schools Partnership Programme can be seen at every level of a school.
Between January 2018 and December 2021, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) conducted one of the largest evaluations of peer review and school collaboration by independently evaluating SPP. It found that:
At partnership level:
SPP moves school partnerships beyond informal networking to purposeful, evidence-informed improvement work.
At leadership level:
SPP develops evaluation and review skills, strengthens self-evaluation practice, and increases ownership of school improvement priorities.
At teacher level:
Educators develop the skills, tools, and methodologies needed to lead collaborative school improvement.
At student level:
Learners spend more time learning and have their needs better met, contributing to improved outcomes.