In recent years, networking and collaboration have become increasingly popular in education. However, there is at present a lack of attention to the theoretical basis of networking, which could illuminate when and when not to network and under what conditions networks are likely to be successful. In this paper, we will attempt to sketch the theoretical background to networking drawing on work in sociology, psychology, and business studies and looking at 4 main theoretical frameworks: constructivism, social capital theory, Durkheimian network theory, and the concept of New Social Movements. We will also explore differences between networks on a number of factors such as goals, activities, density, spread, and power relations.

Using evidence from a series of studies carried out over 20 years, this article explores ways of developing schools that are effective for all children and young people. The argument developed is intended to challenge those leading school improvement to return to their historical purpose, that of ensuring a sound education for every child. The authors argue that in order to achieve this it is necessary to complement within-school developments with efforts that link schools with one another and with their wider communities. This means that school improvement processes have to be nested within locally led efforts to make school systems more equitable and to link the work of schools with area strategies for tackling wider inequities and, ultimately, with national policies aimed at creating a fairer society. This article considers the implications of this analysis for the work of senior staff at all levels of the education system.

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Recent years have seen increased emphasis on the idea of schools working together. However, there is very little research that demonstrates how and when such approaches lead to positive outcomes, particularly in respect to those schools facing challenging circumstances. Reflecting on the evidence from six case studies, this article identifies strategies that offer pointers for the development of practice and indications of where further research is needed. It concludes that, under the right circumstances, school-to-school collaboration is a powerful means of strengthening the capacity of schools to address the challenges they face. More specifically, it suggests that collaboration can: widen student learning opportunities and help address the needs of vulnerable groups of learners; be effective in helping schools to resolve immediate problems; and, under certain conditions, contribute to the raising of expectations.