What makes school/university partnerships effective? An investigation into the relationship between a teacher training school and a university in England

The English pre-service teacher education system has changed substantially over the past 20 years. There has been a significant shift towards pre-service teachers having their training fully or partially managed and delivered by schools themselves, without the need for university input. However, despite this, the majority of such teacher training schools seek partnership with universities for academic accreditation alongside the professional programme for which they are responsible. This paper summarizes a study exploring the relationship between a teacher training school and a university. A conceptual framework of partnership in learning and teaching was used in the analysis of interview data from both school and university staff. As a result of this study, the authors present a new framework reflecting dynamic and connected features of such relationships. In doing so, the authors identify the significance of institutional, inter-relational and enhanced trust within the partnership.