Who are the ‘RISE’ improvement advisers and what will they do?

The implementation of regional school improvement advisers has caused confusion and led to criticism.

Government officials briefed Schools Week on how they will work….

Who are the advisers, and how many will there be?

The DfE has already appointed 20 advisers. It will hire another 50 by April.

Civil servants will support them. This includes a “small number” dedicated specifically to regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE).

There is then a “wider group” working in the DfE’s nine regions. They will also provide support alongside their existing duties.

How many schools will they work with?

Advisers are already working with 32 schools, the DfE said. But it will take until March 2026 for all “stuck” schools to get support.

As of December 31, there were 626 schools that met the definition of “stuck”. But almost 200 of those have already changed structure since their last inspection.

However, the DfE has said it still expects to support about 600 schools. This is because others will become “stuck” after future inspections.

How are schools being prioritised?

The government said it started with schools where a structural change was already on the cards but was not progressing quickly enough.

Schools with two negative grades – previously called “coasting” – faced academisation under the previous government’s approach.

What will RISE advisers actually do?

The teams will first engage with responsible bodies – academy trusts and local authorities.

They will discuss “the areas that are most in need of improvement”, as identified by Ofsted and “other sources” of information.

The RISE advisers will then draw up a “bespoke” improvement plan, make sure it is put in place and monitor its implementation.

Who makes the decisions on commissioning?

It is the RISE advisers’ job to broker support from other organisations. But the DfE insists it will “absolutely” have oversight over this process.

Advisers are seconded, and therefore “they are the DfE in this process”.

“We are the decision makers… on the plan and ultimately on the content of that plan and the funding,” the DfE said.

But the government added it “remains the responsibility of the responsible body… to secure improvement for that school with the benefit of this intervention package, which we will have put together”.

What if school or trust doesn’t agree with an improvement plan?

The government is consulting on making the improvement packages mandatory.

The department said it would expect responsible bodies “in many cases to be really hungry and keen and looking forward to getting that opportunity”.

But, if they don’t agree, the RISE advisers’ job “ultimately is to make a recommendation and decide on behalf of the secretary of state for the right support for that school and the responsible body”.

How quickly will intervention take place?

The government already has a “stock to deal with” – referring to existing stuck schools.

But, with new stuck schools being identified, the DfE expects it to be a “matter of a small number of weeks to enable the initial conversation, discussion about the content of a plan, the identification of the right support organisations and the confirmation of resource”.

The department said fast intervention would not come as a “surprise to anybody”.

These are schools “that have been stuck for a long time” and the DfE would be “absolutely appalled if they haven’t already got something on the table saying, this is what we’re trying to do to improve… What we’re doing is adding to that”.

How will help be identified?

RISE teams will draw on the DfE’s funded programme of hubs, but also from “strong trusts who are doing great work”, based on a “range of indicators of quality and inclusive education”.

The same is true of councils, it said.

Ofsted’s consultation also proposes a new ‘exemplary’ grade, which would provide an “extra source of identified practice… when putting together these bespoke interventions”.

Is there more money coming?

The government has allocated £20 million so far, for grants of up to £100,000 per stuck school. That funding covers the period up until next March.

Future funding is dependent on the government’s current spending review, but the DfE said there was an “expectation and confirmation of the approach to RISE continuing – and continuing to be supported appropriately”.

PS… Trust CEOs are split on the changes

A survey of 123 trust chief executives conducted by Edurio shows that 37 per cent believe the introduction of the RISE teams will have no impact on the sector.

Just under 30 per cent said it would have a positive effect, while 26 per cent think it will hurt schools.

But, when asked about the impact the teams will have on their academies, more than half of trust bosses thought it would be negligible.