Networking of Schools: A Case Study of England

Abstract

In recent years, networking of schools has become an important mechanism for the governance of the education system, complementary to two well-established alternatives: the hierarchical and market model. In England in particular, school cooperation is at the heart of current education policy. This single country case study describes two main types of emerging networks: networks for interorganizational learning between more and less successful schools and networks with common governance structures. The typology is supplemented by illustrative examples of three specific networks. At the end of the article, we compare the conditions for networking in Czech and English school systems and present the experience in the operation of networks during a pandemic.