Outreach & Collaboration

As a school, we recognise that improving outcomes for children does not happen in isolation. Outreach and collaboration with other schools and external agencies form an important part of our wider responsibility as a learning organisation and as part of the local education system. This work enables us to contribute to system improvement while also strengthening our own practice.

A key reason for engaging in outreach is to ensure that children, particularly those with SEND, those who are vulnerable, and those facing barriers to learning, benefit from high-quality, inclusive provision regardless of which school they attend. By sharing our expertise, approaches and resources with other schools, we help to reduce inconsistency in provision and support school improvement on a wider level. This collaborative approach supports equity and inclusion across the local area and improves outcomes for children and families.

The school has developed strong practice in areas such as SEND, inclusion and pastoral support. Outreach enables this expertise to be shared in a structured and purposeful way, supporting other schools to build their own capacity and expertise. This may include modelling effective strategies, offering professional dialogue, or supporting leaders and staff to reflect on and strengthen their practice. In turn, this work reinforces our own understanding of effective provision and encourages continual reflection and improvement.

Collaboration also plays an important role in strengthening multi-agency working. Close partnership with external agencies such as health, social care and advisory services ensures that children with additional needs receive coordinated and timely support. This is particularly important for safeguarding, family help and SEND processes, where effective communication and shared responsibility are essential to meeting children’s needs. Our leaders have an impact on the systems that support children across the Local Authority by working closely with the SEN, Family Help and virtual schools teams.

Engagement in outreach has a positive impact on our own staff and leadership capacity. Staff involved in collaborative work develop coaching, mentoring and system-leadership skills, deepen their professional knowledge and gain a broader understanding of effective practice across different contexts. This contributes to staff development, succession planning and retention, and ensures that expertise within the school continues to grow.

From a governance and accountability perspective, outreach and collaboration align closely with national and inspection expectations around leadership beyond the individual school. They demonstrate that leaders understand their role in contributing to the wider education system and in supporting inclusive practice at scale. All outreach activity is carefully planned to ensure it does not detract from the quality of education and care provided to our own pupils and is evaluated for impact.

Overall, outreach and collaboration are viewed as a strategic investment. They strengthen relationships, improve practice both within and beyond the school, and support better outcomes for children, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Governors can be assured that this work is purposeful, aligned with the school’s values and priorities, and contributes positively to continuous improvement.