Swindon Ten is a collaborative learning network between five secondary and five primary schools in Swindon. These schools have decided to address common school improvement issues by working in partnership. As a learning network these schools learn from each other, with each other, and on behalf of each other.

Aims & Purpose
“Learning together, achieving more". To have a shared moral purpose for the whole of the educational community. All partners to work collaboratively to raise aspirations and achievement through high quality provision in order to ensure the best start in life for the children and young people of the partnership schools.

Schools Involved
Churchfields School
Dorcan Technology College
Greendown Community School
Lainesmead Primary
Moredon Primary and Nursery
Nova Hreod School
Nythe Primary
Oliver Tomkins Church of England Junior
Penhill Primary and Nursery
Swindon Academy

Key Partners
Swindon Children’s Services
Aimhigher West Area Partnership
Excellence in Cities South West – Directors’ Network

History
established in April 2006
active since September 2006

Areas
The Swindon Ten Learning Network is active in a number of areas identified as school improvement priorities that would benefit from a collaborative approach:

Learner Support
Gifted & Talented
e-Learning
Parent Involvement
Peer Mentoring
Leadership
Literacy
Aimhigher

In addition, there are task-related working parties or network groups as appropriate.

Background & Context
The partnership agreement of the Swindon Ten Learning Network was agreed in May 2006 to continue the successful collaboration begun under the previous Excellence Cluster partnership. It is for an initial period of two years from September 2006 to August 2008.

Design Principles:
1 Development priorities are determined by the needs and requirements of schools and practitioners.
2 Leadership is distributed to practitioners at all levels.
3 The network explicitly encourages experimentation and the freedom to take risks

Governance is through the Swindon Ten board comprising the headteachers of the schools involved, the Director of Quality & Standards, and the Co-ordinator (non-voting). Chair of the Swindon Ten Learning Network is Steve Flavin, Headteacher of Churchfields School. The co-ordinator is Dr. Ben Schmidt, who is based at Churchfields School.

The local implementation of the Aimhigher programme is delivered through Swindon Ten, which comprises the Aimhigher priority schools, on behalf of the local authority, and includes New College and Swindon College.

Funding comes to schools through the School Development Grant, which is top-sliced to pay for co-ordination and collaborative projects.