Partnership Working

The EDGE works as a partnership on many levels and in many ways, to include some highly innovative and successful solutions to educational issues as well as a wide range of excellent practice which the partnership is enthusiastic about sharing. We are particularly innovative and practised in our approach to:

• Working in the challenging circumstances of social deprivation
• Partnership working
• Student Voice and empowerment
• Multi agency approaches
• Inspired Senior Leadership

These are some of the areas in which the EDGE schools have developed since 2004:

Leadership and Management

• Monthly meetings of the Head Teachers, with an identified Chair of the Partnership
• EDGE budget, with a financial commitment from each school and revenue to deliver partnership wide services and projects
• Designated EDGE Partnership Co-ordinator
• Commissioning support from specialist consultants for specific projects
• A well established Joint Self Review Programme
• Targeted use of funding for the benefit of EDGE students, eg purchase of curriculum resources
• Mutual support in facing challenges and issues

Professional Development

• Regular international visits, including to China and Chicago, for teaching staff which have led to international links and projects e.g. our Arts Project Website
• Middle Leader Development working in partnership with another Birmingham Partnership
• EDGE Training Day for professional development of all staff, academic and support, delivered by outside speakers and colleagues in Edge schools

Students and Every Child Matters

• G&T progamme development
• An established EDGE student council, with representatives from all the schools who, in addition to this role, are trained in the art of lesson observation. They visit Edge schools and have as focus for their meetings aspects of ECM. Edge student council members have traveled to Chicago to visit link schools and experience the culture.

Inclusion and Challenging Pupils

• FLIP centre established for pupils whose behavior needs specific support to assist a return to mainstream lessons
• Regular sharing panels to support collaborative approach to inclusion

Common Approaches, Mutual Support

• Multi - layered relationships across schools in the Partnership eg ICT technicians / MFL subject leaders arrange their own regular meetings
• Regular meetings of EDGE schools’ CPD co-ordinators, curriculum deputies, Gifted and Talented Co-ordinators and subject leaders
• EDGE wide Self Review Cycle where EDGE colleagues in selected subject or activity areas undertake training so they are able to review peers in other EDGE schools in a mutually supportive, yet positively challenging, manner
• Development of common policies in teaching and learning, behavior, and curriculum
• Developing a collaborative approach to the new 14-19 curriculum, including working with our sister partnership, the Oaks Collegiate
• Opportunity (through Gatsby funding) to target groups of pupils to raise attainment , eg science and maths booster classes