The government’s RISE school improvement divisions have unveiled their regional priorities, including “ensuring children feel a sense of belonging”, boosting outcomes in coastal communities and delivering “inclusive schools that set high expectations”.
Last week, the Department for Education also named the next 170 ‘stuck’ schools in line for the teams’ targeted support, where advisers will focus their attentions and the priorities for each region.
Here’s what you need to know…
Reception targets and coastal focus
Earlier this year, education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the school improvement teams will offer universal support services based around the government’s four priorities.
These included improving English and maths attainment, the quality of reception education, attendance and inclusion.
On Friday, the government also published further details outlining each area’s specific local priorities.
Dame Kate Dethridge, regional director for the south east, revealed RISE advisers will focus on improving “attainment for disadvantaged pupils across all phases” and “boosting reception-year outcomes, especially in coastal communities”.
They will also look to raise “attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those” with SEND and foster “inclusive mainstream schools that set high expectations for every learner”.
West Midlands regional director Sue Lovelock noted her area’s challenges include “increasing the number of children reaching a good level of development in reception from 67 per cent to 75 per cent”.
‘Sense of belonging’
She also wants to boost attainment at key stages two and four, boost “inclusion in mainstream schools” and continue “gains made in school attendance, especially at key transition points.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, RISE will focus on “ensuring children feel a sense of belonging to their school and attend every possible day they can”.
They also hope to close “the disadvantage gap at every stage of children’s education” and have inclusive schools.
Meanwhile, north west regional director Vicky Beer said her team will work to enhance the “quality of reception year by focusing on improving oracy, reading and writing fluency at key stage 2”. At key stage 4, it will hone in on raising maths outcomes.
Attendance and attainment gaps
Beer added there will be a focus on “enhancing pupil transition into secondary from key stage 2 to 3” and “earlier, more accurate identification of special educational needs in mainstream settings, with the right support in place”.
Meanwhile, Katherine Cowell, north east regional director, said advisers and the rest of her team “are working across our region to support schools to raise standards and close the disadvantage gap from early years to key stage 4”.
In the east Midlands, RISE will work with schools to “address the challenges we face” including “attainment gaps, especially for disadvantaged pupils and those with” SEND.
Increasing the “number of children reaching a good level of development by the end of reception” and continuing to “focus on secondary attendance, particularly at key stage 3” make up the rest of the region’s targets.
And for RISE teams in London, the south west and east of England, their attentions will be in line with Phillipson’s national priorities.
170 more RISE schools
Two weeks ago, the Department for Education announced RISE teams will “nearly double their reach” this term, with the number of schools supported set to rise from 220 to 390.
Of these, 23 are now considered no longer eligible for help, having received improved Ofsted grades. On Friday, the 170 new RISE schools were named.
Forty-eight per cent (81) are primaries, with 46 per cent (79) secondaries. The rest are either AP or special schools.
Just 2 per cent (4) are in London, while the north west accounted for the most (32 schools). The majority are academies, with 31 in local authority control.
An adviser gap?
The government also announced in which regions each of its 65 RISE advisers will focus their efforts. The west Midlands has the most (11), followed by the south east and London (both 9).
But with the capital having only 11 schools in line for targeted RISE support, it means the city has just over one RISE school per adviser.
This compares to nine advisers per school in the north west and eight in the east Midlands.
When asked about this, the DfE said advisers will have a “home region”, but they will be able to work flexibly across the country. It hopes this will spread expertise across the system.
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