A team from Porto University has, for the past four years, developed an Observatory on Schools' Life (OBVIE), which has improved the relationship between the university and elementary and secondary schools. However, each side of the partnership views its impact differently. This paper conveys a reflection on how OBVIE operates and influences curriculum decisions taken in the partner schools. The collected data have allowed us to conclude that the close relationship that has been established between the university and the schools is very well accepted in the latter. Representatives from the schools have stated that closeness in the partnership is fundamental in the construction of a new curricular mindset. They have also recognised that working with OBVIE has been crucial in the promotion of within-school refection and curriculum innovation, especially in the context of curricular departments and disciplinary groups. Furthermore, data has provided important insights into possibilities of curriculum innovation that emerge from the schools' involvement in the observation of practice, directed by OBVIE. In short, findings from the analyis of this partnership have been very useful in the clarification of opportunities and threats with regared to the promotion of curriculum innovation in schools.