Developing School/Higher Education Institution Partnership through Collaborative Practicum Design

School-based practicum is a critical component of teacher education programmes. Recent studies show that high-performing programmes evidence well-developed school university partnerships. In Ireland, recent policy changes mean pre-service teachers complete practicum placements of up to ten weeks in duration. Programme providers must design these placements in partnership with schools. This paper discusses a two-year action research study examining the key relationships involved between schools and one Higher Education Institution. Using the notion of 'Learning Communities' posited by Stoll et al as a theoretical framework and Dey's model of cyclical analysis, this paper finds that positive relationships enhance the practicum experience and the development of partnerships and highlights improvements which can be made to future iterations of the practicum.