Collaboration in Action
Almost a year ago, we at Jamie's Farm had the pleasure of hosting an event at Oasis Farm Waterloo, celebrating ten years of impact. It was a wonderful day, and it felt right to get a bit provocative with our panel's topic: 'Is genuine partnership possible or ever preferable in the third sector?'
In an ever-more challenging funding landscape, and with the urgent need for systemic change in education, it's a crucial discussion. As a proud member of the Fair Education Alliance, we consistently see how vital true collaboration is to achieve our shared mission. Our discussions highlighted three key takeaways that are foundational to the FEA's spirit:
Shared overarching mission and agreement on what success looks like for a fairer education system. For us, that's about giving young people the tools to thrive.
Similar organisational values and ethos with complementary skillsets. It’s about finding partners who 'get' you, but also bring something new to the table
Ensuring ego doesn't get in the way and banning the word ‘unique’. This one can be tough, but it's crucial. If something's worth doing, it’s highly unlikely you're the only one who thinks so!
It’s with these lessons firmly in mind that we’re incredibly excited to share news of a new collaboration that blossomed directly from the connections within the FEA network. Many of you will know Ed Vainker from the Reach Foundation, a true force for good in our sector. Ed identified a huge opportunity: to train talented, passionate staff within schools – those without degrees – to become teachers, social workers, or counsellors. This big vision is still developing, as ambitious projects often do.
But on the back of this, a smaller group of us – Reach Foundation, Football Beyond Borders, AllChild, The Centre for Emotional Health, Khulisa, and Jamie’s Farm – all fellow FEA members, quickly came together. We regularly observe the incredible potential in non-teaching pastoral staff, and we’ve developed a powerful one-year training programme. We aim to upskill this vital cadre of talent and improve the standing of roles like pastoral managers and family link workers in schools.
Coming together and sharing what we were all doing in our silos, it quickly became clear: while it can sometimes feel special to say our model or ethos is 'unique', that's often for the birds. Our organisations share a relational model of supporting young people facing disadvantage. This programme is designed to embed those very practices into as many school staff members as possible, especially those who build long-term, trusted relationships with children.
This programme was developed in true partnership, and it's so much stronger for that collaborative working. It's a brilliant example of how being part of the Fair Education Alliance helps us connect, learn, and ultimately, contribute to the collective impact we all strive for.
Want to join us? Are you non-teaching pastoral support staff (such as attendance managers, family liaison officers or non-teaching heads of year) or do you manage people who are? Do you believe that if we want great outcomes for all children and their families, we have to value and develop the staff who work closely with them? Applications are open until 10th June - apply here or get in touch with Verity Howorth.
Jake Curtis
Co-CEO Jamie’s Farm