Partnerships at KAS
CONTENTS Introduction
By Robert Lobatto, Head
Shaping and sharing new practices
Spearheading thought leadership and advocacy; enabling collective endeavour
Influencing decision makers
Developing, codifying and sharing new educational practices and approaches
Enhancing
experience of students
Collaborating with partner schools to share resources and widening access to KAS events
By Liz Robinson, Leadership and Partnerships
Introduction
When our gates first opened in 1898, our founders had a clear ambition: The King Alfred School (KAS) should positively influence the wider education system. Reflecting the language of their time, they saw KAS as a "demonstration school" a place that would play an important role in ushering in a new era of human-centred education.
Whilst honouring that founding vision, our language and methods have evolved. Rather than ‘teaching others how to do it’, we have embraced the concept of ‘partnerships’ – underpinned by the philosophy that everyone comes to the table as equals, and that the work is mutually beneficial.
At a student level, our partnerships bring together young people from different schools and backgrounds, creating spaces for engagement and mutual learning. For staff, the key question is what we can gain from one another – we may have different contexts, but the challenges and opportunities are often surprisingly similar.
In a time of limited resources, it’s essential that our investment in partnerships benefits not only our collaborators but also our own community. And in recent years, we have seen that this work has broadened the horizons of our students and staff, encouraging a more outward-looking perspective.
Partnerships have become one of our most powerful methods for professional development for our staff. When our school counsellor returns from working at a local state school, she brings back as much as she gives. When our middle leaders take part in KASled leadership programmes for our North London network,
“For our young people, our partnerships have fostered a deeper appreciation of the world”
they gain valuable knowledge and insight from their peers. And when we host the School Directed Courses Consortium (see page 13), the discussions enable us to refine and advance our own practices.
Meanwhile, for our young people, our partnerships have fostered a deeper appreciation of the world
beyond KAS (the Roots Futures Programme is a prime example, –read more on page 20), and this ethos runs through all our studentfocused initiatives.
Returning to our founders’ ambition, this work is making a tangible impact on the wider education system. It has shown our partners that progressive practices are alive and well, inspiring them to implement new ways of educating children and young people in their own institutions. We now have a dedicated staff member responsible for Leadership and Partnerships, Liz Robinson, who is ensuring our work is developing at pace.
We’re excited about the journey ahead, and we hope this report offers both insight and inspiration.
Robert Lobatto Head, The King Alfred School
Impactinnumbers
175
Average number of free counselling sessions our counsellor delivers every year at nearby Archer Academy
17 Active partnerships with more than schools & organisations
350
80 educators attended the KAShosted Rethinking Schools conference
50
independent and state schools are currently involved in the School Directed Courses Consortium, a peer support network of schools seeking to offer alternatives to GCSEs, of which KAS is a founding member
visitors from over 30 educational institutions, interested in learning more about the KAS way
Shaping & sharing new practices
KAS has been a pioneer in educational innovation since its founding as one of England’s first non-denominational, coeducational day school. Our holistic, child-centred approach –combining real-world learning with rich classroom experiences –has made us a respected voice in the education sector and a school that many wish to visit.
This work not only shares new insights and best practice with schools, educators, and policymakers, but also enables us to learn from others, continually refining our approach.
Signature practices we share include:
The Village Project
School Directed Courses (SDCs)
Enquiry-based learning
‘3C’ skills development (Communication, Creative Thinking, Collaboration)
Learner profiles
Our well-established pastoral support framework.
We are committed to documenting these practices in detail – outlining their key components, applications in different contexts, and evidence of impact – and producing resources such as guides, books, videos and websites.
Our dissemination work helps others adapt these ideas for their own settings. We do this through the KAS visits programme, sharing materials, creating collaboration forums such as the School Directed Courses Consortium (SDCC), running and participating in conferences, and promoting our work widely.
Recent examples of our efforts to shape and share new practices at KAS, as well as having a meaningful impact beyond our school gates include…
KAS helped to establish the North London Schools Partnership (NLSP), which also includes Archer Academy, Parliament Hill School, North London Collegiate, Henrietta Barnet and Christ's College Finchley. Together, the group devises and runs Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshops for teachers, including a Middle Leaders Programme.
“It was the most useful leadership course I have been on; rooted in theory but practical and can be applied directly to my context”
– Middle Leaders Programme CPD attendee
KAS coordinated the creation of the School Directed Courses Consortium (SDCC), a network of schools developing and offering alternative courses to GCSEs. These courses provide more flexible, relevant curriculums and broader assessment approaches than the rigid and outdated GCSE model.
KAS’s Communications team worked with Rethinking Assessment (RA) to create SDCC.uk, a website showcasing the SDCC’s work and sharing resources for other schools interested in developing SDCs.
KAS Head, Robert Lobatto, ran a session at the annual Big Education conference on KAS’s educational approach
KAS Deputy Head Al McConville is a founding member, and Robert a leading member, of Rethinking Assessment (RA). RA is a non-partisan coalition of school leaders, (both state and independent), researchers, policymakers, employers and higher education representatives working to broaden and modernise assessment and better prepare young people for a dynamic world.
A key part of KAS’s work with RA has been developing digital learner profiles –personal online portfolios for every student that record academic qualifications alongside other achievements. KAS has implemented its own learner profiles in school and shares best practices with other schools, helping to drive this educational innovation.
In partnership with Rethinking Assessment and utilising the network of schools KAS coordinates through the SDCC, a Science HPQ pilot project is underway with Pearson. It aims to enable greater opportunities for practical science projects in years 9 to 11 instead of the mono-focus on timed assessment in Science subjects.
KAS was a leading contributor to a toolkit for schools, published by Big Education, entitled Teaching Competencies Progressively: Communication, Collaboration & Creative Thinking.
Alongside RA, KAS commissioned a research paper for the annual Next Generation Assessment conference, titled A Review of Assessment Methods in Higher Education. Presenting the paper at the conference, our Deputy Head led a panel to discuss the need for schools to mirror the approach taken by universities in using multimodal assessment to better prepare students for the workplace.
KAS is part of the Next Big 10 project, a group of (primarily state) schools advocating for change in the education system, who come together to host events, workshops, and run CPD sessions for teachers.
KAS has partnered with the Edge Foundation, an influential voice in the education system aiming to give all young people the knowledge, skills and behaviours to flourish. Through the partnership, we have produced films and guides that codify our Explorations programme in Years 6-8.
PROJECTS & INITATIVES IN WHICH KAS STAFF ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED INCLUDE:
Our Development Director, Tamlyn Worrall, provides mentoring to Henrietta Barnet and Reading School, offering strategic insight and advice on development, fundraising and alumni relations. Tamlyn also participated in the ‘Beyond the Gates’ event, helping state schools looking to establish and grow development and fundraising activity.
As part of Big Education’s Rethinking Schools programme, KAS staff including Assistant Head Dan Love have led CPD groups for teaching staff from various schools.
Director of Finance & Operations
Caroline Korniczky contributed to The Art of the Bursar, a comprehensive, evidence-based exploration of how the Bursar’s role is evolving in independent schools, and what’s needed for those in post to thrive.
Shaping & sharing new practices
KAS Visits programme
We operate a busy programme of visits, accepting requests and extending invitations to schools, educationalists and policymakers. We ensure visitors see first-hand our areas of innovation and educational best practices, whilst learning from them at the same time.
Recent visitors to KAS have included:
Ron Berger & Gwyn ap Harri, leading voices in progressive education
Sam Freedman, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and a senior adviser to Ark Schools
Senior leaders from Atelier 21, a future-focused school that aims to empower pupils with high levels of self-directed learning, foster student agency and nurture innovation, curiosity and creativity
A group of 30 school and thought leaders from Israel, via Education Cities, researching curriculum and pedagogy
Preethi Vickram, founder of Tapa Education, a progressive, holistic school in Bangalore, India
Educationalists from Northern Ireland and Cardiff, interested in the ethos and provision at KAS, with the latter looking to set up a new school offering similar practices
Representatives from Inter-K Education, South Korea
PGCE students from Cambridge University
British Schools Foundation Heads of School from Brazil, China & Spain
Staff from Springwest Academy, a state school in the London Borough of Hounslow, for a half-day conference
Steve Price from the Tudor Park Educational Trust, a Multi-academy trust in Middlesex
L-R: Head of Interdisciplinary Projects,
and
“The school radiates curiosity, creativity & openness, creating an environment where learning thrives... I left inspired & grateful, reaffirming my belief in the power of transformative education.”
– Preethi Vickram
L-R: Deputy Head Al McConville, Ron Berger, Head Robert Lobatto, Gwyn ap Harri
Hannah Sheath, Preethi Vickram
Robert
Shaping & sharing new practices
School Directed Courses Consortium
Established and coordinated by KAS, the Schools Directed Courses Consortium (SDCC) began life as a small forum for schools who were running or planning to run bespoke, institution-specific courses as an alternative to GCSEs, in which coursework, portfolios, presentations, and journals sit alongside more conventional assessment.
At the heart of these school directed courses was a desire to broaden the approach to teaching, learning and assessment, and escape the outdated mono-focus on timed exams.
The SDCC now has a membership list that has grown to well over 50 interested parties, state and independent, who are at various stages on their journeys.
The SDCC aims to meet at least once per term to facilitate practice sharing among likeminded schools who believe in the need for curriculum innovation at KS4; giving young people real world learning experiences and better equipping them for life after school, whichever path they embark on next.
The SDCC also counts representatives from PearsonEdexcel among its interested parties and, through the Consortium, the exam board is piloting a Science HPQ route, which will open the door to practical science projects. At Level 3, Pearson-Edexcel already offers Extended Projects in AI and Sustainability and they are piloting a double-HPQ route, where the skills developed across two years on two separate projects are tracked and assessed.
The SDCC stands to be an effective test-bed for future qualification pathways through its free-wheeling innovations.
For example, KAS’s Global Challenges SDC teaches students about climate change, migration and human rights, and then asks them to develop practical responses. Young people chart
their social impact projects using Pearson’s HPQ framework, and learning meets meaningful action in a way that also gets a student a Level 2 qualification.
More information about the work of the School Directed Courses Consortium and its network of forward-thinking schools can be found at www.sdcc.uk.
“It shapes you for the outside world arguably better than a GCSE. In the outside world you’re going to encounter a lot of problems that you have to
overcome
yourself, and that’s what we had to do in Global
A student shares her Global Challenges project on Attachment with classmates
Al speaking at the SDCC conference
Influencingdecision makers
To achieve meaningful impact, we actively share our philosophy and experience with thought leaders and decision-makers.
We develop our ideas and practices within a culture that values curiosity and open debate, aiming not only to lead thinking in education but also to influence it.
We advocate for change through research papers that evidence the positive impact of our practices, writing for the education and national press, contributing to conferences and inquiries, and engaging directly with policymakers.
Our partnership work focuses on enabling and supporting collective endeavour, bringing together like-minded organisations to drive a united approach to change. Recent examples of our influence include…
Digital Literacy Coordinator Kevin Tibble shares resources for his regular student and parent Feature Phone Fairs – including a library of ‘dumb phones’ and helpful information boards – with local state schools so they can host their own. He also presents KAS’s smartphone-free policy at panel talks, has been a contributor to the Smartphone Free Childhood movement, and has helped to inform influential figures such as Dan Tomlinson MP.
KAS Deputy Head Al has spoken at two events organised by the Education for 11-16-year-olds Committee, providing evidence of best practice at KAS to support the MPs’ report entitled Requires Improvement: Urgent Change for 11–16 Education.
We run a reception event at the annual Next Generation Assessment conference (right), at which KAS representatives have presented, bringing together like-minded colleagues from across the education sector.
Through our work with the UK Education Collaborative, KAS played a lead role in galvanising a mass response to the Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review.
KAS Head Robert is a regular attendee at Oppi, an annual ‘festival of education’ that brings together global innovators & thought leaders dedicated to broadening diversity of voice & experience in education.
KAS recently hosted a series of meetings of key progressive educational organisations and policy experts from the UK Education Collaborative. The group meets regularly to discuss ways and assign actions to effectively move the educational change agenda forward.
As part of the Big Education Leadership Programme, a one-year development course for senior leaders, two participants spent a day at KAS exploring our curriculum and how we apply it.
As a recognised thought leader, Robert has been appointed co-editor of a new book, An Education of the Head, Heart and Hand, due for publication in Spring 2026.
Influencing decision makers
Speaking to MPs at a parliamentary committee
KAS Deputy Head Al McConville has advocated for assessment reform on behalf of The King Alfred School at Parliamentary events.
Appearing before the Education for 11–16-Year-Olds Committee in 2023, Al took the opportunity to explain that the current GCSE system leaves most schools with very little time for the development of other important elements of a rounded education. He told the committee: “King Alfred would talk about the need to develop communication, and collaboration, and creative thinking skills, and there’s an opportunity cost to spending all your time on knowledge and understanding.
“There’s also very little time to develop broad character measures that we know matter so
much. So again, in a balanced wheel of education you might have the knowledge and understanding bit, the character bit and the skills bit.
“The number of GCSEs that are required in an ordinary school is so large that there’s simply not the space to do all the things that we would like our children to be doing and to be recognised for and have validation for.
“It’s one very narrow bit of what an education should be, and it’s assessed in a way that’s not really fair because some people are good at those sorts of demonstrations of knowledge and understanding, and others would do far better if they were able to explain orally, for example, that they’ve understood something about a great work of literature.
“The exam focus, particularly since the 2015 reforms, have made it a very narrow opportunity to demonstrate even the thing that it’s all about, which is knowledge and understanding.”
Al also spoke about the potential of establishing digital learner profiles – another of KAS’s signature practices. Added to
throughout the student’s educational journey, these digital records reflect student achievement and receive external validation. Such profiles –a version of which is being developed at KAS – could also capture information about innovative forms of learning such as school directed courses, he explained.
“There’s an opportunity cost to spending all your time on knowledge and understanding”
– Deputy Head Al speaking to MPs
Enhancing the experience of students
We aim to lead, facilitate and support partnership work that creates learning opportunities for KAS students, as well as those from our partner schools.
This work involves joint projects with students from other schools, sharing KAS resources, participating in KAS-led events, contributing to community initiatives, and enabling access to a KAS education through bursaries.
Read on to find examples of partnerships that have had a meaningful impact on students’ educational experiences…
As part of their Global Challenges School Directed Course (SDC), KAS students partnered with the Babylon Migrants Project – a CIC which runs creative activities by and for young people from refugee, asylum seeking and migrant backgrounds – to stage a cultural dance performance and photography exhibition
Staff and students from The Archer Academy have used KAS’s Phoenix Theatre for exam practice and performances. KAS staff have also visited the school to provide support and guidance on their own theatrebuilding project
Local students are regularly invited to our careerfocused ‘KAS Connections’ events, such as our recent Creative Industries Forum, which was attended by Archer Academy students (see case study overleaf).
KAS hosted ‘In Conversation With…’, which saw theatre director Jez Bond interview actors Tracy Ann Obermann & Adjoah Andoh on diverse interpretations of Shakespeare. Performing arts students from Henrietta Barnett joined, gaining valuable insights and expanding their understanding of theatre in practice.
KAS’s counsellor works a half day per week at The Archer Academy’s counselling service for students.
KAS staff serve as governors on the boards of Tudor Park Educational Trust and E-Act, a multi-academy trust.
Local students joined members of the KAS community for the Connections event ‘AI: Redefining Careers’, which explored how artificial intelligence is shaping future career opportunities.
KAS Sixth Formers participated in immersive school exchange programme Roots Futures. The programme empowers young people from diverse backgrounds in state and independent schools to foster understanding and empathy, celebrating both what they have in common and what makes them different.
Another KAS Connections event about working in film saw students from Parliament Hill (left) join the audience. They were able to put questions to the panel, which included Bond film composer David Arnold.
Enhancingthe experienceofstudents
Connections Creative Industries Forum
Connections events are part of the school’s careers offering. They give young people from KAS and partner schools the opportunity to hear from, ask questions of, and connect with industry leaders.
Students from The Archer Academy joined young people from KAS for our stimulating and inspiring Creative Industries Forum about working in creative sectors.
Chaired by Jez Bond, Director of the Park Theatre, it included a panel discussion with:
Justin Thornton, fashion designer and owner of Preen by Thornton Bregazzi; Anthony Engi Meacock, architect and founder of Assemble collective; Moira Tait, production designer and professor at the National Film & Television School;
Oli Rockberger, songwriter, producer, keys man, vocalist and recording artist, plus Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; Paul Moore, comedy writer, comedian and TV producer; Milla Lewis, photographer and filmmaker. As well as providing valuable career advice to students during the course of the conversation, the young people had the opportunity to quiz the panel in a Q&A session and during refreshments following the session.
“We all thoroughly enjoyed it and each of us took away valuable learnings”
– Ms. S. Clarke, Director of ADT, The Archer Academy
The panel at our Creative Industries Forum ‘Connections’ event for students
Students from partner schools attending Poster advertising the event
Collaboration with Babylon Migrants Project Enhancingthe experienceofstudents
As part of our school-directed course, Global Challenges – which introduces students to major socioeconomic, environmental and ethical issues – KAS partnered with Babylon Migrants Project to share cultures, cuisines, and creativity.
KAS students collaborated with Babylon Migrants Project, a community interest company supporting young people from refugee, asylum-seeking, and migrant backgrounds, over an eight-week project. Photography masterclasses were hosted at KAS, while Babylon led belly-dancing workshops, offering insight into the cultural significance of Middle Eastern dance.
“The aim was to use artistic expression to connect people and celebrate different cultures,” said Ranya F (Year 11), a participating student.
The project culminated in a showcase in KAS’s Main Hall, where attendees shared food from their diverse cultures. “I truly enjoyed working with KAS students,” said Amal, who led the belly-dancing sessions. “It was my first time teaching belly dancing in the UK, and I found it incredibly rewarding.”
“This experience has been rewarding, inspiring and meaningful,” added Ranya. “It gave us a chance to step outside our usual academic routine, be creative, and contribute positively to the community.
“More than anything, it showed us that when people come together to share culture and creativity, incredible things can happen.”
A short student-produced film about the project is available to watch online: bit.ly/4lXKUYQ.
Students perform on the KAS stage, led by Amal from Babylon Migrants Project
The photography exhibition Amal thanks students in a video message
Enhancingthe experienceofstudents
Counselling support at Archer Academy
Since 2018, KAS has partnered with The Archer Academy in nearby Barnet to support students’ mental health and wellbeing.
KAS counsellor Tracy Preston initially worked with Archer’s Deputy Head to help launch the school’s counselling service.
Today, she is part of their established team, spending half a day each week providing one-toone counselling for students in Years 7–11 and advising on best practice. Tracy typically sees four to five students each week, with programmes lasting about a term. This means that over a school year, she works with around 15 students, tailoring each session to individual needs and covering a wide range of issues.
“The support from Tracy enabled us to expand our counselling provision within school. This means more students are supported with their mental health and able to engage in school life.”
– Kathrynne Bickers, Head of SEND, Inclusion & Aspiration
“This inspiring collaboration not only supports young people, but also allows us all to grow as professionals”
– Tracy Preston, KAS Counsellor
Our partners
The commitment of and collaboration between those involved are central to our partnership work. This work would not have been possible without the support and contributions of the following schools, organisations and institutions:
Archer Academy
Babylon Migrants Project
Big Education
Christ's College Finchley
Edge Foundation
Henrietta Barnett School
The Independent Schools Council
The King Alfred Phoenix Theatre
Ladybridge High, Bolton
North London Collegiate
OPPI
Parliament Hill School
Reading School
Rethinking Assessment
Roots Futures Programme
School 360, London
The above list captures just some of the partners with whom we have begun building relationships. We look forward to growing this network and the breadth and depth of this meaningful work.
The King Alfred School is grateful for support from the Gale Charitable Trust, which provides funding to charitable organisations in a variety of sectors, including education, healthcare, community outreach and the arts.
Final reflections
One of our great strengths at KAS is the opportunity to be truly 'independent'. We make innovative decisions about the curriculum, learning approaches and culture which set this school apart.
Far from being an 'ivory tower' for a lucky few, KAS is working in varied and thoughtful ways to share the insights and opportunities of its approach, whilst also listening to, and learning from, others. Putting mutual benefit at the heart of collaboration unlocks the true power of partnerships and results in impactful learning experiences for everyone involved.
In a hugely complex and fragmented education system, deep relationships and meaningful work are essential. We are proud of our work in this area, and grateful to the many partners who continue to be committed to working together for the benefit of all the children and young people we serve.
Liz Robinson Leadership and Partnerships at KAS
The King Alfred School
149 North End Road, London NW11 7HY