School partnerships often begin very informally and can come about through personal contacts or community links.

If you have already have contact details of a potential partner school, you still need to go through some first steps to think about how a country and its people interest those you want to involve.

Think about and discuss with colleagues

Motivation

• What are your reasons for wanting the partnership?
• Do you have a vision?
• What do you hope to achieve in practical terms?
• Can you talk to others with experience of partnerships to help clarify your aims?
• How will your partnership enhance the goals of your school?

Teaching and Learning

• How will teaching and learning benefit?
• How might your motivation affect the educational aspects of your partnership?

Involvement

• How can you involve as many staff in your school as possible?
• How will learners contribute to the partnership as it evolves?
• What opportunities exist in your local communities for involvement in partnerships?
• Have you got the support of your Senior Management Team? How can you get them on board?

Resourcing

• Does your school have the capacity to enter a partnership at this time?
• Are you prepared for any additional resourcing needs/costs the school may incur?
• Can you identify sources of support and expertise in your local community?

Your partner school

• Where in the world might you look for a partner school?
• What are the advantages and disadvantage of different options?
• What might be the expectations and motivations of your partner school?
• Why should they want to partner with you?