More than 100 primary, secondary schools and colleges in England are set to pool resources, expertise and buying power in the first organisation of its kind in the UK – the Schools Co-operative Society (SCS).

The announcement comes at a time when the Government is encouraging greater independence in education as part of major reforms and is designed to help schools help themselves in accordance with co-operative values and principles.

Already registered as a co-operative, the organisation’s governing body is now working on a strategy that will include:
• Sharing best practice in terms of teaching and management.
• Advancing the co-operative cause in the field of education.
• Using combined buying power – estimated at £100 million plus – to purchase a range of goods and services including energy, administrative services.

All the schools and colleges involved employ globally shared co-operative values such as self-help, democracy, equality, honesty and social responsibility both in their governance and in the curriculum. They are part of the Co-operative Schools Programme, one of the community projects which has been run by The Co-operative Group, the UK’s biggest mutual retailer, and the Co-operative College, the Movement’s educational charity, for the last eight years.

Dave Boston, head teacher of Sir Thomas Boughey Co-operative Business and Enterprise College in Newcastle-under-Lyme, has been appointed Chair of the SCS Board.

He explained: “Co-operative values and principles are more relevant than ever at a time when people are being urged to be more independent and less reliant on the state.

Via EPR Network
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