What is a Federation?
A federation is a group of two or more schools that have made a formal commitment to work together under a single governing body. This enables the schools in the federation to:
- work together efficiently and sustainably to raise standards;
- improve provision and increase opportunities for pupils and staff;
- share resources, staff, expertise and facilities.
The legislation that allows schools to federate is set out in regulations made under sections 24 and 25 of the Education Act 2002. The decision to create or join a federation is usually taken by governors, although in some circumstances the local authority can require schools to federate. In recent years, it has become increasingly common for schools to work together in a federation.
Federation of Scapegoat Hill J&I
and Linthwaite Clough JI&EY Schools
Linthwaite Clough and Scapegoat Hill schools federated in 2015. From then we have gone from strength to strength gaining the benefits of working collaboratively – sharing best practice, expertise of the staff and a wide range of opportunities, for example the Year 6 residential at Cliffe House. We are committed to improving the lives of all children through Quality First teaching and the provision of opportunities that go beyond the academic and the walls of the schools.
Leadership of the Federation
Our Federation is lead by one Governing Body and a Senior Leadership team comprising of the Federation Headteacher, Nikki Barker, and two Assistant Headteachers, Alison Barker based at Linthwaite Clough and Natalie Shackleton based at Scapegoat Hill. The fourth member of our leadership Team is Jill Wood, our inclusion Manager. We all work across the Federation ensuring our vision and values are upheld and the quality of education is uniquely tailored to the needs of our children.
A unique identity
Our shared vision and values underpin everything we do across the Federation. Alongside this, we are mindful of the uniqueness of each of the school settings and work hard to ensure their identities are preserved.
This is achieved by ensuring:
- each school has its own name, logo, uniforms;
- lessons are planned to meet the needs of the children;
- learning stems from each unique child’s experiences and starting point;
- children attend their own school setting on a daily basis;
- respect for the values and diversity of the local community is upheld;
- a wide range of opportunities for personal development are offered;
- positive behaviour strategies are tailored to individual needs.
You can visit the website of Linthwaite Clough Junior and Infant school from here.