Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current efforts of private schools to engage with state schools.

Large numbers of independent schools are in partnership with state schools; the Independent Schools Council found that 92% of its member schools were operating some form of partnership. At the start of 2014 the Department for Education held a successful conference to promote such partnerships, and last month the Department announced that 18 new primary sector partnerships would be getting DfE funding for their start-up costs. Ideally partnerships draw on the strengths of each member school to maximise advantage for all pupils. There is no lack of enthusiasm, and it is a genuine desire for partnership which is required, not a centrally imposed standard which would just result in partnerships being created that have no real substance.