HFL is a proud member of AEPA, the Area-Based Education Partnerships Association. AEPA works across organisations like HFL, not-for-profit third parties working with LAs across local areas, bridging the gap between national policy and local delivery. Local education partnerships (LEPs) serve as collaborative, school-led organizations focused on improving education quality and equity within specific localities. They fill the gap left by school autonomy and fragmented systems by fostering collaboration among schools, local authorities, and community stakeholders to enhance outcomes for all children and young people.
AEPA members include local partnerships from Hertfordshire, Haringey, Camden, Tower Hamlets, Birmingham, Surrey and beyond. All are able to demonstrate a strong, resilient education eco-system that performs well for the benefit of children and young people.
Today AEPA launched a paper titled ‘Belonging and Excellence: The Importance of Local Education Partnerships’ to explore how local, school-led collaborations are driving improvement and building belonging across England’s education system. The forward is written by the AEPA Co-Chairs, Baroness Estelle Morris and Dame Christine Gilbert – who both Chair local partnerships.
Place matters. It gives families a key part of their identity and contributes to their sense of belonging. Schools need to understand place and locality to make meaningful connections with children and families and they themselves are also a central part of their local community.
Baroness Estelle Morris and Dame Christine Gilbert, AEPA Co-Chairs
The paper brings together examples from partnerships across England which demonstrate how schools are tackling shared challenges, from inclusion and SEND to recruitment and wellbeing, through locally rooted collaboration. One such example focuses on our successful Reading Fluency Project which the report describes as our ‘profound and demonstrable’ work to support pupils’ reading. Our Reading Fluency Project was developed to help schools support their pupils with reading and phonics. Over 550 local schools and 5,000 pupils have taken part.
The report also showcases the work we have done to help schools to support families facing economic barriers and to share good practice in and between schools.
We are proud to be cited in this AEPA report, highlighting the important and proven work of local partnerships. Over 12 years ago we became one of the country’s first ever local school partnerships, and since then we have been working alongside Hertfordshire’s schools, trusts and settings to ensure that all of our county’s children and young people get the best education experiences.
Education partnerships like ours are here to benefit the community we serve, creating strong local eco-systems that encourage all children to flourish. We are very proud that our achievements have been recognised in the AEPA report and will continue to listen to our communities and schools and engage with local stakeholders to ensure Hertfordshire’s education standards remain consistently high for all.
Carole Bennett, CEO HFL Education
Belonging and Excellence demonstrates how partnerships are providing the “local glue” that connects schools, local authorities, and wider services – ensuring education continues to serve the public good.
