Headteacher Update Podcast: Community out-reach & engaging with external agencies

This episode advises primary schools on how to engage with the different statutory and non-statutory agencies working to support pupils, especially our most vulnerable. From local authorities, safeguarding, mental health and Early Help services, to community out-reach, mentoring support and more, we consider the range of bodies that schools need to engage with. We discuss how to create partnerships with positive reciprocal relationships and how to get the most out of key agencies at a time of stretched resources. We begin with some general principles for engaging with external agencies and ensuring our schools and pupils get what they need from them, before discussing some of the most common agencies schools can expect to, would want to, or must legally engage with. We talk about how primary schools might frame their Early Help offer to ensure it is effective and we discuss effective community out-reach, including how to access local funding streams and working with and engaging parents. Our three guests give us lots of examples of how they engage with these agencies and of their own community out-reach work and partnerships.