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Co-location

Co-location of one or more services for children isn’t a new concept but with a wide range of different models of leadership and governance emerging, it is a tool that can be used with great effect on a variety of challenges. This article explores what we mean by co-location and provides examples of schools and children’s centres who are involved in co-location.

What is co-location?

Co-location is a way in which schools, children’s centres and other children’s service providers have responded to developments in patterns of organisation and service delivery. It can be described as a place where a school or children’s centre shares its site with a school of a different type or with another service and where there is a strong link across governance, leadership and management.

Research into the co-location model

We have commissioned research into how co-location is working in various communities around the country. Eleven diverse sites were visited and five common themes emerged. The resulting report - Emerging patterns of leadership: co-location, continuity and community - will help leaders in schools and children’s centres to consider the potential benefits and challenges for similar approaches in their own areas.

For further information see:

• Emerging patterns of leadership: co-location, continuity and community

Key issues for the co-location sites

You can find out more about the 11 co-location sites; their key learning, challenges, solutions and next steps using the following links:

• Asterdale Primary School: building parental engagement and easing transition
• Burnley Campus: Burnley schools collaborate to commission extended services
• Guildford Grove Primary School: working together for community cohesion
• Hungerford Primary School and Bridge Special School: creating a single school community
• Ladybridge High School and Rumworth Special School: resource sharing for the common good
• Loughborough Primary School: working with the under fives helps build parental engagement
• Walton Lane Nursery School and Children's Centre: operating on two sites and using its own not-for-profit company to give local families better access to the support they and their children need
• Merton: centrally-driven approach to commissioning local services
• Saltburn Primary School and Huntcliff Secondary School: exploring the advantages of sharing a single, new purpose built school
• Samworth Academy: Church school partnerships and extended services support community cohesion
• St John Vianney Roman Catholic Primary School: managing a children’s centre

More information about the co-location sites

More detailed information describing the context, work and personalities involved in the 11 sites that contributed to the National College research project is available.

For further information see:

• Co-location, continuity and community: vignettes

Related publications and resources

• Models and partnerships web pages
• Models of leadership toolkit
• Models and partnerships case studies