The Educator Magazine U.K. May-August issue - Magazine - Page 70
Government takes leaps
forwards in driving up
school standards
New regional improvement teams expanded to reach
more than 200 schools and 120,000 children to drive
up standards across the country.
Thousands more children are set to benefit from the
government’s flagship new school improvement teams, as
the programme significantly ramps up this week.
The government’s RISE (Regional Improvement for Standards
and Excellence) teams are expanding their reach from an initial
32 schools, to more than 200 reaching over 120,000 children.
The drive comes as the government’s Children’s Wellbeing
and Schools Bill progresses in the Lords this week, with new
laws to put money back in parents’ pockets, keep children s
afe and bring every school up to the standard of the best.
RISE teams are backed by £20 million, and central to the
government’s mission to drive up school standards for
children in all corners of the country, as part of its Plan for
Change.
Each RISE school could be eligible for support of up to
£100,000 to help turn around the quality of education for
children and young people.
This expansion goes hand in hand with a tripling of the
government’s team of RISE advisers, with an additional 45
starting their work this week, bringing the total to 65.
Every adviser is an expert with a track record of improving
schools, with the majority academy trust leaders, with advisers
already hitting the ground running to drive up improvement
in schools.
There are more than 600 ‘stuck’ schools in England that have
received consecutive poor Ofsted judgements, and which are
attended by more than 300,000 children.
Data shows that the schools RISE advisers are supporting, have
spent an average of 6.6 years rated by Ofsted as below good
or equivalent, amounting to a child spending their whole
primary or secondary school years in an underperforming
school.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:
No child should be spending precious days, let alone years,
in schools that are underperforming.
Our new RISE teams, made up of the best of the best in school
improvement, can be the spark that turns around the life chances
of tens of thousands of children.
RISE teams have already hit the ground running, and as we
deliver on our Plan for Change, I am determined to make sure we
lift every school, for every child, up to the standard of the best.
Dozens of the schools have been stuck for more than 6 years and
42 for more than 11 years, reinforcing the need to secure swift
improvement for children across the country.
As part of the bespoke improvement plans drawn up by the RISE
advisers, working with the school’s responsible body,
the first 32 ‘stuck’ schools have already started to be paired with
supporting organisations, including high-quality
multi-academy trusts, who will provide support and expertise to
assist the schools on their improvement journeys.
Some of these supporting organisations include
Department for Education
The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP
high-performing multi academy trusts who have years of
experience working with the sector. Mulberry Schools Trust,
L.E.A.D Academy Trust and the Northern Education Trust are
a few of many trusts involved in supporting other schools.
Gaenor Bagley, Chair of Trustees and Dr Karen Roberts,
CEO, The Kemnal Academies Trust, whose schools, are
receiving RISE support said:
We would like to say, at this juncture and for the record, just
how refreshing, different and positive the experience of working
with the RISE advisers has been - it really does feel like a genuine
partnership.
More widely teams will also work across all schools up and down
the country providing a universal service, signposting to best
practice and bringing schools together to share their knowledge
and innovation, focusing on four national priorities: attainment,
attendance, inclusion and reception year quality.
RISE adviser, Dr Herminder K Channa, Oasis Community
Learning Regional Director, said:
I am deeply honoured to take on the RISE Adviser role, fully aware
of the responsibility it carries. At its heart, RISE reflects a powerful
truth: we are stronger when we stand together.
This policy unites us as a sector regardless of trust, local authority,
faith or context with a shared commitment to ensure every child
can achieve and thrive.
By championing collaboration over fragmentation and support
over intervention, RISE unlocks the collective expertise across our
system. Together, we can build a future where excellence is not the
exception, but the expectation for every school, every teacher, and
every child.
RISE adviser, Anita Cliff, Chief Executive Advisor, Manor
Multi Academy Trust, said:
I’m privileged to serve as a Regional Improvement Adviser for
Standards and Excellence with the Department for Education.
This role gives me the opportunity to support schools across the
region in removing barriers to achievement—helping to
transform children’s life chances and ensure every child can thrive,
regardless of background.
RISE adviser, Lee Mason-Ellis, Chief Executive,
The Pioneer Academy, said:
RISE is a fantastic opportunity to work across and within our
sector, in a collaborative way; to ensure that every child, no
matter where they live, receives a good education in strong
schools. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this amazing
opportunity to improve life chances of our children, across the
nation.
I firmly believe that RISE will bring the education sector together,
working in partnership, in collaboration – together sharing and
problem solving for the benefit of all children across the nation.
As a further commitment to support its ongoing engagement
with the sector the Department for Education is also establishing
a new RISE operational stakeholder group to advise on delivery to
ensure views are reflected.
