LEA/LSC 14-19 Strategic Partnerships

What are they?
LEA/LSC 14-19 Strategic Partnerships are local partnerships which were put in place in preparation for Strategic Area Reviews (StARS) and 14-19 Ofsted Inspections.  They vary in form across the country, but essentially these partnerships between local authorities and local LSCs ensure that 14-19 issues in the local area are addressed.  In relation to schools, this means topics including school performance, priority setting, planning and issues emerging from Strategic Area Reviews.

What do they achieve in practice and how do they affect me?
The best way to illustrate this is to give you an example of how it works on the ground.

In Birmingham, two major collegiate partnerships have been established between schools, colleges and other learning providers to ensure that students have access to a broad and relevant range of learning opportunities. 

One of these collegiate partnerships is a partnership between a sixth form college and six schools in the North and East of the city.  As a result of the partnership, 400 14-16 learners are now accessing vocational provision via college facilities and two satellite centres, providing vocational learning opportunities related to motor vehicles and construction.

The other partnership involves one FE college and four schools, and has resulted in 14-16 year-old learners accessing vocational training in hairdressing, beauty therapy, engineering and manufacturing.  In addition, as a result of working with additional training providers, a pilot project is underway, giving students access to a new vocational GCSE in Construction and Built Environment.