Dartmoor and Anthem are among a number of trusts leading the way on community engagement, but this is not a ‘nice-to-have’. Meanwhile, fewer than one in five governors and trustees surveyed say that community engagement is a top-three priority for their local governing body or trust board. Community engagement can support key priorities, rather than taking time away from themCommunity engagement should be a priority for all multi-academy trusts, and not just to meet DfE expectations. It identifies some key steps trusts can take to improve community engagement. However, as many trusts are finding, community engagement can be a ‘golden thread’ that supports key priorities, rather than taking time away from them.