These publications have been developed to support all forms of collaborative learning within and between schools through the use of networks.
100,000 heads are better than one (2007) 
(931kb, 74 pages)
Lessons from talk2learn, the world’s largest online learning community for school leaders. This document is about building online communities in your own school and beyond. It is hoped that it will act as a stimulus to thinking about the role collaborative online learning has to play in 21st-century education.
More information and additional resources are also available.
A printed copy is available, free of charge, by emailing [email protected].
Find out more about NCSL´s online communities.
Building Bridges: a study of independent-state school partnerships (2004) (124kb, 6 pages)
James Turner
Research associate report examining the Independent-State Schools Partnership Scheme and the factors leading to successful partnerships.
Building bridges – full report (304kb, 27 pages)
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Classrooms in the community (2006) (95kb, 6 pages)
Robin Wakinshaw
This research associate report looks at how local clusters of schools can work more effectively to achieve the community involvement targets in their development plans.
Classrooms in the community – full report (241kb, 23 pages)
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Community leadership in networks (2006) (356kb, 12 pages)
This publication looks at sharing our developing understanding of community leadership in networks, drawing directly on the learning of Network Learning Communities (NLC) and Community Leadership Network (CLN).
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Does the net work? (2006) (422kb, 6 pages)
Ben Wilding and Andy Blackford
The network that forms the focus of this study developed as a result of the enthusiasm and vision of 23 headteachers from a range of educational establishments in the Huntingdon area under the banner of transforming learning communities. This report asks how a networked learning community can promote and develop leadership.
Does the net work? – full report (508kb, 24 pages)
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Expanding leadership horizons (259kb, 9 pages)
NCSL’s Leadership Network
This booklet provides project summaries, examples and lessons from practice, and insight into the impact achieved to prompt you to consider the next steps to action in your own situation. The initiatives presented in this booklet were developed and delivered by regional networks in 2006-07, promoted and coordinated by the Leadership Network Regional Leaders.
A printed version is available, please email [email protected].
Growing your own leaders: the impact of professional development on school improvement (2004) (88kb, 6 pages)
The aim of the project was to establish and develop a network of schools to act as models of good practice in staff development that could be replicated by other schools.
Growing your own leaders – full report (203kb, 17 pages)
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Mutual support, mutual challenge (2006) (275kb, 6 pages)
Helen Schmitz and Sue Brown
There has been an emphasis in recent years on schools working in networked groups, for example, networked learning communities and primary learning networks. This report explores a model of peer headteacher learning focused on self-evaluation and school improvement.
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Networked Learning Communities publications catalogue (3.32mb, 40 pages)
This directory lists many of the key publications produced by the Networked Learning Community programme.These resources were developed with practitioners during the four years of the NCSL’s Networked Learning Communities programme, to support all forms of collaborative learning within and between schools.It provides think pieces, research reports, development tools and accounts of practice for you to choose from.
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Pulling together (2003) (95kb, 6 pages)
Merril Haeusler
Transforming schools through a collaborative learning network. This research explores what the essential characteristics are for successful collaboration within a learning network and how effective collaboration leads to sustainable school improvement.
Pulling together – full report (304kb, 32 pages)
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The strength of weak school ties (2007) (450kb, 6 pages)
Paul Lawrence
This research explores the importance of institutions developing the right kind of ties with each other and suggests that ‘weak’ relationships between schools are a great source of strength under certain circumstances.
The strength of weak school ties – full report (493kb, 23 pages)
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Threads, knots and nets (2007) (130kb, 6 pages)
This report looks at the impact of trust in leading learning networks and explores how it is consistently identified as a key driver in co-operative working within and across schools.
Threads, knots and nets – full report (489kb, 25 pages)
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Too busy to learn? An introduction to collaborative leadership learning (2003) (248kb, 55 pages)
Developed from Leading Practice work, this work explores collaborative leadership learning and offers questions, processes and materials to support new or established leadership learning groups.
Exploring the territory (case studies) (120kb, 26 pages)
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Trust in collaborative working: the importance of trust for leaders of school based partnerships (2008) (284kb, 33 pages)
This report describes the findings from original research undertaken into the importance of trust as a driver of school-based collaborations. It demonstrates how leadership of collaborations depends less on hierarchical sources of power and instead draws more on moral purpose and professional authority. In the context of schools, this sees leadership place particular emphasis on promoting the well-being of children and families.
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Working smarter together: the development of a enquiry team across twelve schools (2002) (484kb, 4 pages)
Research associate report giving an account of a project whose major aim was to develop an enquiry team across schools to effect school improvement.
Working smarter together – full report (280kb, 35 pages)
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Working together : helping community leadership work in practice (2006) (741kb, 42 pages)
This publication aims to support school leaders in engaging more effectively and authentically with their communities, and with other agencies and organisations. It examines what collaboration is and how to achieve it, why this approach is important for schools and what this means for future practice.
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