2.4 Partnership working / collaboration

Is there evidence that…

• The school enhances its provision and practice for all children and young people (CYP) through building relationships and partnership working and can evidence improved outcomes as a result.
• Corporate responsibility for all CYP in the locality is evident in practice.
• The school collaborates with a range of agencies and other schools to develop its capacity to improve outcomes for each CYP.

Discussion prompts / evidence of impact

• A culture of collaboration is created within the school, e.g. leaders and governors check whether systems enable staff to plan, teach and review together. Staff have the opportunity to develop shared resources and plan to overcome barriers together.
• A culture of collaboration is created with other schools and organisations. This could include sharing and developing good practice with local schools and beyond, including providing advice and support. This could also include providing support to other schools in meeting the needs of more vulnerable / disadvantaged CYP and providing key pastoral and SEND staff to support less experienced staff in other schools.
• School leaders work with external agencies, including the Local Authority’s Educational Psychology Service and Advisory Teams to review and develop plans for different groups within the school. For example, school (both special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and designated safeguarding lead (DSL) attends a termly consultation with Early Help to discuss CYP that they are concerned about and identify appropriate support and next steps.  Actions are recorded, reviewed after a suitable timescale and impact evaluated.  Appropriate and relevant information and resources are shared and used across the school to support the child or young person.
• The school fosters productive and positive relationships with a wide range of other agencies in the local community to improve outcomes for CYP including, where appropriate:
  • Local schools
  • Forums and network Meetings (Behaviour Forum, SENCO Hubs and Networks)
  • School Effectiveness Team
  • Advisory Services and other support services, including Safeguarding in Education and Pupil Entitlement, Autism and Social Communication team / Learning and Behaviour Advisory team
  • Teaching Schools 
  • Hubs e.g. Maths Hub, English Hub, Science Partnership
  • Research Schools
  • Area Inclusion and Improvement Boards (AIIBs)
  • Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
  • The Special Needs and Assessment Team (SENAT)
  • SEND Infomation, Advice and Support (SENDIAS)
  • Ethnic Minority and Travellers Achievement Service (EMTAS)
  • Portage
  • Early Help and Children’s Social Care
  • National Health Service (NHS) and Therapeutic Teams
  • West Sussex Parent Carer Forum (WSPCF)
  • Alternative povision providers
  • Holiday, weekend and after school activity providers e.g. scouting organisations, Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, National Citizenship Service (NCS)
  • National and local support groups and organisations
  • Short break providers
  • Church dioceses and other relevant faith or organisations
  • Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) community groups

• The school actively seeks to learn how other schools, both locally and nationally successfully include CYP with individual needs. Staff and CYP share ideas with and visit other schools to support the development of provision.
• The school has audited the resources available within the local and wider community. The school has links within the local community, and these are used to enhance the provision, including careers education/preparation for adulthood planning within the school.
• The school maintains a record of current local services and how to access them e.g.  Local Offer to identify services and resources with SEND.

Last updated 16 August 2021