Unlocking Education's Potential: The Universal RISE Initiative
A bold move to transform struggling schools is underway, but will it succeed? The Department of Education's (DfE) ambitious plan, Universal RISE, aims to uplift schools with the lowest attainment rates. With a focus on accessibility and collaboration, the scheme promises to revolutionize school improvement. But how will it work in practice?
Last February, the DfE introduced the targeted Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) program, targeting over 600 underperforming schools. A month later, a broader initiative, Universal RISE, was unveiled, offering support to all schools. However, the DfE acknowledges that the targeted RISE is better understood, prompting a recent outreach to thousands of schools.
The Outreach
In a significant move, Tim Coulson, DfE's regions group director general, sent letters to 2,092 schools in the bottom 25% for attainment at key stages 2 and 4. These schools were identified based on overall and disadvantaged pupil performance. Coulson encouraged them to explore the support offered by Universal RISE.
The scheme, he explained, connects schools to high-quality resources, facilitates networking, and promotes effective practice sharing. Simultaneously, Bridget Phillipson contacted the top 25% of schools, congratulating them and inviting them to share their success stories with others.
The Universal RISE Promise
The government envisions Universal RISE as a platform for leaders to access top-notch resources, foster collaboration, and share best practices. The scheme facilitates peer-to-peer support, allowing leaders to identify valuable resources through regional conferences, roundtables, and networks.
The DfE's first conference engaged over 8,000 leaders, and details of future events are shared regularly. Leaders can also access toolkits, strategies, and enhanced support from regional hubs. The government's RISE website offers a wealth of resources, and DfE data tools enable leaders to pinpoint areas for improvement.
Encouraging Participation, Not Mandating
The DfE encourages all schools to engage with Universal RISE, either as beneficiaries or contributors. However, participation is not compulsory. Measuring success will be challenging, as much of the engagement will be peer-to-peer, without direct DfE involvement.
But here's where it gets controversial: The DfE plans to gauge success by impact rather than participation numbers, focusing on four priority areas: attendance, attainment, mainstream inclusivity, and reception. While support details are outlined, the specific metrics for measuring success remain undisclosed.
The Four Priority Areas
Attendance: Schools can access toolkits and data to tackle absenteeism, adopt effective practices, and improve parent communication. RISE hubs will facilitate reflection and best practice sharing.
Attainment: Universal RISE's focus is on 40 maths and 34 English hubs. These hubs bring experts and teachers together to enhance subject knowledge and school development. English hubs, in particular, promote systematic synthetic phonics for reading improvement.
Inclusive Mainstream: Schools will access resources and training for a holistic inclusion approach, backed by case studies.
Reception: The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) program identifies language difficulties and enhances language skills and behavior.
Funding and Projects
The DfE has allocated funding to various peer-led Universal RISE projects, targeting national priorities. With grants of £150,000 each, these projects aim to address local challenges and build on existing successes. Examples include raising KS2 attainment and supporting SEND in mainstream schools.
And this is the part most people miss: While Universal RISE has the potential to be a game-changer, its success hinges on widespread awareness and engagement. Will the scheme live up to its promise, or will it face challenges in reaching and supporting all schools in need? The jury is still out, and your thoughts are welcome. Is Universal RISE the key to unlocking education's potential, or is it a well-intentioned idea that might fall short in execution?
