ABSTRACT
As countries throughout the world seek to improve their national education systems, there is an increasing emphasis on the idea of school autonomy. Since election of the Conservative-led coalition government in 2010, followed by the Conservative government in 2015, all of this has become much more central to education policy in England. The basis of the approach was outlined in a White Paper that set out plans to improve the quality of teachers and school leadership through school-to-school support and peer-to-peer learning. A willingness to share intelligence and engage in professional dialogue was seen as a strong indication of the growth of trust amongst schools. Although these conversations tended to centre on statistical data regarding student progress and overall school performance, what appeared to be potentially more powerful was the means by which these parties bring their varied experiences and expertise together to scrutinise the data.
