Pathways into Partnership

These support materials have been designed as bite-sized resources which can be used within scheduled staff meetings. The purpose is to provide Principals with materials that can be used with staff as an introduction to the various themes; they are not intended to be detailed or in-depth courses. (Schools and partnerships will of-course be able to access in-depth courses and materials from other sources, if further support is seen to be necessary.) For some of the themes, a Principals’ version and a teachers’ version have been provided.

As stated in the Pathways document, skills, behaviours and attitudes are central to success. Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to use these resources to develop strong foundations, and so give your partnership the best chance of long-term sustainability. Take the time to work your way through them and consider which may be of use in your own context. 

We suggest that:

● each Principal might review and reflect upon PowerPoint 1 “Developing a Collaborative Culture”, using the accompanying resource sheet to assess his/her school’s readiness for partnership working;

● the Principals’ group might then share their reflections and assessments, identify priorities for development and agree a common approach to developing further a climate for successful partnership;

● individual Principals might, as part of this process, use the following PowerPoints with staff:

✔ PowerPoint 2 “Teacher Introductory Session

✔ PowerPoint 3 “Developing a Collaborative Culture” (teachers’ version).

● the Principals’ group might then review PowerPoints 4-10, deciding which of these might be most pertinent within their own contexts.

These are only suggestions. You will know your own school, its strengths and the challenges you face. Use the resources that work best for you and, of course, adapt them so that they will meet your needs and resonate with your own staff. Finally, a think piece on conflict resolution has been provided for Principals, as prompts for reflection and discussion. This has not been designed for direct use with groups of staff.

How might you develop a culture of collaboration?

 Identifying the skills of
collaboration. 

Listen attentively, understand what they’re saying, respond and reflect.

The focus of coaching is the development of specific knowledge, skills & strategies.

Explore the main components of Emotional Intelligence.

Identify the characteristics of assertive behaviour.

Conflict is inevitable, it is also important that we recognise that it is not necessarily destructive.