The government has written to thousand of schools with the lowest attainment rates, signposting help through its “universal RISE” offer.
The Department for Education launched its targeted Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) scheme last February, with interventions aimed at more than 600 “stuck” schools.
Universal support – a “service to help every school improve” – was then launched a month later as part of a broader RISE offer.
But the DfE said targeted RISE remains “better understood” than the universal programme. It has now written to thousands of schools to raise awareness of the support available through the scheme.
So what is universal RISE, and how will it work?
Letters sent to schools
On Friday, Tim Coulson, director general of the DfE’s regions group, wrote to responsible bodies for all schools in the bottom 25 per cent for attainment at key stages 2 and 4.
The 2,092 schools were identified by looking at attainment both for all pupils and for disadvantaged pupils specifically.
Coulson wrote to “remind” them of support available through universal RISE, urging them to “please consider” accessing it.
He described the scheme as a “new, sector-led approach to school improvement which is connecting all schools to high quality support” by “signposting resources, facilitating networks, and promoting the sharing of effective practice”.
Meanwhile, Bridget Phillipson wrote to the headteachers of all schools in the top 25 per cent of those nationally based on outcomes for poorer pupils. A total of 3,326 schools received these letters.
Congratulating them on their “significant achievement”, Phillipson urged them to help share their experience and best practice with other schools by “engaging actively” with local RISE networks, and contributing to roundtables and other groups.
What is universal RISE?
The government has said universal RISE aims to make it easier for leaders to find “relevant, high-quality resources, facilitating collaboration, and promoting the sharing of effective practice”.
Key to the scheme is helping schools access peer-to-peer support.
Leaders are able to “identify high quality support” through regional RISE conferences, roundtables and networks, the DfE said. The department ran its first of these conferences last year, which it says engaged with more than 8,000 leaders.
Details of RISE conferences are shared termly with schools and in newsletters sent by DfE regional directors.
Leaders will also be able to access toolkits, strategies and enhanced support from regional RISE hubs.
Details of resources are available on the government’s RISE website.
Leaders can also use DfE data tools to “diagnose” improvement areas. This will include the government’s new “school profiles” digital service, which is expected to launch in autumn.
The profiles will help leaders identify strengths and improvement areas, by comparing their school with ones in similar contexts. It will also signpost leaders to relevant resources, and help them connect with other schools.
“We want good schools to become great schools, and great schools to become leaders in driving change,” said the DfE in a press release.
Not mandatory
The DfE wants “every school” to engage with universal RISE, either as a recipient or contributor.
However, schools are not required to take part.
It will also be difficult for government to monitor exactly how many schools are engaging with the scheme.
This is because much of the engagement will happen without direct involvement from the DfE, and will instead be peer-to-peer.
Coulson said: “Universal RISE builds on professional generosity widely seen across the system and we want all responsible for governance and leading schools to know about all the support that is available.
“It is for each school to choose what is helpful, and we are grateful for all who are contributing to the growing networks of support.”
How will success be measured?
Rather than looking at numbers of schools engaging, the DfE said during a press briefing on Friday that its success will be measured by impact across RISE’s four priority areas: attendance, attainment, mainstream inclusivity and reception.
The department has set out what support will be available for each priority area, but has not said exactly what metrics will be used to measure their impact.
Attendance
Schools will be able to access toolkits and data to identify drivers of absence, adopt effective practice, and get help communicating with parents around attendance, the DfE said.
RISE attendance and behaviour hubs will also help schools improve by reflecting on current systems and sharing best practice. The DfE has been asked by Schools Week which schools will have access to this.
Attainment
Universal RISE’s work in this area will be centred around 40 maths hubs and 34 English hubs.
Maths hubs bring together maths experts and teachers to help share subject knowledge, and boost professional and school development.
Meanwhile English hubs work with schools to “improve the teaching of reading”, with a focus on systematic synthetic phonics. This is done through CPD programmes as well as intensive in-school support led by literacy specialists.
English hubs have already been supporting KS3 reading with targeted support since last year, but this year “unlocking reading” CPD is also available to all secondary schools.
From September, English hubs will also provide CPD and “intensive support” for Reception, with a focus on early language and literacy.
Inclusive mainstream
Schools will have access to resources and CPD “to support a whole-school approach to inclusion” and case studies showing promising practice implemented in schools.
Reception
Elsewhere, in reception, the existing Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme helps identify early language difficulties and improve children’s language skills and behaviour.
School improvement projects
The DfE has also allocated a small amount of funding – thought to be around £1.5 million – to a number of peer-led universal RISE activities this financial year, targeted towards its four national priorities.
It has allocated funding to 31 different schemes across its nine regions, with grants of around £150,000 each.
The DfE said these “allow regions to shape activity in ways that make sense locally, drawing on what is already working well and responding to emerging challenges”.
Examples include a “raising KS2 attainment in Dorset” project run in the south west region, and a “SEND in mainstream”‘” project in the East Midlands.
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