With over 600 schools identified as ‘stuck’ (those that have had successive Ofsted grades of less than ‘good’) and the sector still grappling with the lasting impacts of the pandemic, budget constraints and rising student needs, the question of how to best drive improvement is both urgent and complex.
To address this, the DfE is investing £20 million in the rollout of RISE teams: experienced education professionals tasked with supporting stuck schools to enhance their provision.
But while this initiative is well-intentioned and potentially powerful, its success will ultimately hinge on one critical factor: accountability.
With the first wave of RISE teams now operational and the programme expanding, it is vital that open dialogue takes place across the sector. We must share early learnings and challenges, and explore how these teams can have a meaningful, sustainable impact on school improvement.
From my previous experience as a National Leader of Education, engaging with system support in some of our schools and with schools identified for RISE support, it is becoming clear early one that an important piece of the puzzle is missing. There is no transparent accountability framework for the work of RISE advisers and those they commission to provide support.
RISE teams are being introduced into an ecosystem where many multi-academy trusts and schools are already driving school improvement with deeply embedded, context-specific approaches, and accountability for school improvement is held by the school and responsible bodies.
If RISE teams are to be a vehicle for school improvement, they must also have accountability for said school improvement. Therefore, it is essential that we create an accountability framework that ensures tailored support is commissioned to complement the school improvement journey, ensuring that all parties are accountable for the impact of the work they do.
There is no accountability framework for their work
An accountability framework would serve multiple functions:
Clarify accountabilities
How will RISE advisers and the support they commission be held accountable for their impact on school improvement? Within the current proposed school accountability framework, accountability only sits with schools and responsible bodies.
Clarify responsibilities
It should clearly outline who is responsible for doing what, whether it’s the school, the trust, the RISE advisor or the DfE, so that everyone involved knows their role in achieving improvement.
Define impact metrics
The framework must establish how success will be measured and how progress will be tracked. This will ensure that time and resources are focused on key outcomes and allow for meaningful accountability within the RISE structure.
Ensure quality and alignment
It should provide a structure for quality assurance, make expectations explicit on both sides, and ensure alignment with existing improvement strategies.
Enable feedback and learning
There must be mechanisms for schools, trusts, and RISE advisors to provide feedback and learn from one another, allowing the programme to evolve and adapt.
Crucially, such a framework will provide reassurance to the government and taxpayers that the investment is delivering value for money and driving genuine improvements, holding all parties to account for the impact of the money spent on the RISE programme.
RISE teams, if implemented effectively, could be a valuable addition to the school improvement landscape. They bring additional resources, fresh perspectives and the expertise of experienced practitioners.
However, they cannot operate without being accountable for the impact of their work and must work in tandem with the proven expertise of trust-led school improvement structures, which are grounded in deep local knowledge and long-term commitment.
In theory, the RISE programme has great potential. But in practice, its success will depend on how well it integrates with existing structures and on a clear, shared understanding of accountability.
Without it, we risk undermining rather than enhancing improvement efforts. With it, RISE teams could become a powerful force for good, driving real, measurable, and lasting improvement for the children and communities who need it most.
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