Background to Federation

What a Federation is and How to Create One

The Innovation Unit Federation Network began to explore what federations meant for us as practitioners in 2003.

In workshops Associate Headteachers compiled information that other practitioners taking part said they would find useful when setting up a federation. This practitioner guide gives you the background to federations including who can federate, what regulations must be adhered to, what federations might look like in practice, some of the conditions for successful working and useful links.

Download the booklet - Practitioner Guide: An Introduction to School Federations (PDF, 285 Kb).

There are many different types of partnership. Below, you can see them represented as a 'continuum' - from loose informal collaboratives to more formalised federations with joint governance arrangements. (You can also find a copy of this diagram within the introductory practitioner guide.) The resources within this website cover the full range.

To reflect that this remains an area of emergent policy and practice, we have produced the FAQs of Federations to attempt to clarify any uncertainties you may have about federations or collaboration.

FAQs of Federations (PDF, 22 Kb).

This website is a resource compiled by practitioners to help your federation development.

For more information on the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) federation and collaboration regulations, go to the DCSF Federation Policy Team's website.

Also, take a look at the Education Improvement Partnerships' website.

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