Schools Minister Vernon Coaker has announced a new programme to spread educational knowledge and best practice across the country through primary and secondary school-to-school visits.

The Inside Knowledge scheme, which will be trialled in a number of schools from April 2010, will allow headteachers and other school staff to take part in professionally managed visits to local schools that have excellent, cutting-edge practice in five important areas:

• narrowing the gap for disadvantaged pupils
• sustainability
• effective use of assessment data for pupil progress
• best practice in pupils writing at Key Stage 2
• managing school budgets effectively to deliver best value.  

School nominations
Under the scheme, stakeholders including local authorities (LAs) have been invited to nominate schools that excel in these areas. The schools that are likely to be the most effective hosts will be supported to deliver visits from September, with visiting schools able to give constructive feedback on their experience.
 
Every school in the country will be able to apply to visit a school in its own region, having found out about what's on offer through an online prospectus, booking and feedback system.
 
Each visit will provide an opportunity for host schools to share their own experiences, and for visitors to learn from the best. Visitors but also hosts will gain from sharing the 'inside knowledge' that the best schools have already acquired.

Read the full press notice on DCSF's website.