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East Sussex Learning Collaborative Network

We are a network of schools who work collaboratively with the Local Authority and wider strategic partners to provide a professional resource to local schools. The Network is inclusive of Dioceses, Multi-Academy Trusts, stand-alone academies and Local Authority maintained schools. We share a commitment to an excellent self-improving school system and the East Sussex Excellence for All ambition where no child or school/academy is left behind, all young people receive high quality education and are prepared for success in life whatever they choose to do. 

Building on the successes of the East Sussex Teaching School Network our ambition is to sustain a local collaborative approach to school improvement, regardless of national designations and resourcing. We aim to provide a blended offer of provision for all East Sussex schools that maximises the resources and expertise of local, regional and national providers, improve co-ordination and avoid duplication of provision in the region.

With our broad range of local, regional and national partners we provide a responsive and high-quality resource for professional development and support for all schools. We coordinate and manage the accreditation and deployment of SLEs and bring together the CPD offer for all stages of professional practice. We connect schools to the latest evidence and good practice inside and beyond East Sussex and support networks and other opportunities for schools and providers to learn from each other.

Our key functions are to:

  • Support schools in providing high quality teaching and learning for the pupils/students of East Sussex

  • Foster effective collaboration and school to school support to build the capacity and expertise within East Sussex schools

  • Respond to emerging priorities identified by schools, the Primary Board and Secondary Boards

  • Understand and be able to draw on the strengths and capacity within our schools and their networks bodies to provide effective and timely support to others, sharing good/exemplary practice
  • Provide a focal point for planning, oversight and communication of the CPD and school to school support available to schools
  • Develop and employ a mechanism for quality assuring the CPD provided by schools
  • Know and be able to draw on the expertise and resources available from the Teaching School Hub, subject hubs, research school and others to share and disseminate effective practice
  •  Signpost schools to the range of resources and support available to them locally and nationally
  • Recruit, train and deploy system leaders and quality assure their provision in terms of impact on intended outcomes
  • Promote evidence-based research principles and practice in schools
  • Communicate sources of research-informed continuing professional and leadership development to support a range of career pathways
  • Keep the quality of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and the Early Career Framework (ECF) local provision under review
  • Hold each other to account through the moderation of activities, support and impact.

We have created this site for teaching professionals of all levels to support us in the delivery of this vision.

Network Membership

At its core our partnership includes:

  • EIP Learning Collaborative Partner schools (link to EIPs)
  • Secondary schools that were formerly teaching schools
  • The local authority
  • STEP Ahead Teaching School Hub which is the DfE designated Teaching School Hub for East Sussex, Brighton & Hove.

The ESLCN works with a number of school-centred Initial Teacher Training providers and can provide information on how to get into teaching.

Wider partners are represented through the Sussex Network and include:

  • The Sussex Maths Hub based at St Paul’s Catholic College in Burgess Hill
  • Durrington Research School based near Worthing which is supported by the Education Endowment Foundation
  • The Sussex Coast Schools Alliance, previously a partnership of teaching school alliances in Brighton and Hove
  • Brighton & Hove local authority
  • GLF the West Sussex Teaching School Hub
  • The Chartered College of Teaching
  • University College London and the Universities of Brighton and Sussex.

The ESLCN website sets out the blended offer and provides a portal for all East Sussex primary schools to access development and support.