COOPERATION AND TENSION BETWEEN AUTONOMOUS SCHOOLS - A STUDY OF INTER-SCHOOL NETWORKING

This study examines head teachers' accounts of the extent and signific ance of inter-school networking between primary schools, secondary sch ools and across the primary/secondary school divide, in Jive groups of schools in two Local Education Authorities in the East Midlands of th e UK. Based on structured interviews, the article analyses the types o f inter-school collaboration set up since Local Management of Schools, who is leading the inter-school networks and the tensions between con flict and collaboration for schools within the networks.