Ed Vainker OBE

CEO, Reach Foundation, Reach Schools

Ed is the co-founder and former principal of Reach Academy Feltham and the co-founder of the Reach Children's Hub, part of Reach's Cradle to Career model in Feltham. He works with school trusts around the country to help them develop their own "Cradle to Career" models.

Ed chairs the Hounslow Education Partnership and is on the advisory board of the Children's Commissioner and the Royal Foundation's Centre for Early Life. He is an ambassador of Teach First and spent three years with Teach for All based in Washington DC prior to founding Reach Academy Feltham.

13:50

1 Main programme

Panel: Place based partnership – how can we mobilise effective support for the best start in life

How do we build local partnerships that genuinely shift outcomes for children in the early years? And what is the role of schools and early years settings in making these partnerships work? This session will explore how place-based approaches can strengthen early identification, join up support across health, education and early help, and reduce the barriers that prevent families from accessing what they need. We will look beyond traditional notions of “parental engagement” to understand how multi-agency relationships, shared priorities, and community-level collaboration can create the conditions for children to thrive from birth to five. This session will focus on what is practical, realistic and doable in typical settings. Attendees will take away a clearer understanding of their role within local partnerships, examples of what works, and actionable steps to strengthen collaboration in their own communities.