The AEPA (Area-based Education Partnerships Association) brings together over 30 local partnerships across England – school-led, place-based partnerships that have a focus on school improvement, particularly on issues relating to both excellence and equity. Our belief is that by working together in this way, local groups of schools can create change that cannot easily be tackled by autonomous schools working alone or in small groups. In many of these partnerships, schools have chosen to take collective responsibility for the quality of education – and so, for all children – in a local area. Each partnership acts as a local engine of improvement, bridging the divide between different types of schools so none is isolated, and providing a framework to enable all schools to work together.

At our fourth annual conference, we are bringing AEPA members and anyone with an interest in local education partnerships to hear from some impressive speakers: