Guidance

RISE: North East regional plan summary

Updated 3 July 2026

Applies to England

Summary    

This publication outlines the key elements of the North East RISE regional plan and how it will be delivered locally to improve outcomes for children and young people.

It brings partners together around the 4 national priorities, providing shared direction and a practical framework for:

• strengthening practice
• building capacity
• sustaining improvement

It translates national priorities into a clear local approach and supports collaboration across schools, trusts and local authorities. Delivering RISE depends on collective effort, with all partners focusing on what matters most, using evidence well and contributing to a more connected, confident and resilient system. 

Regional focus for the North East  

The North East faces pronounced socio‑economic challenges: the region has the highest proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and high rates of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) identification and education, health and care plans (EHCPs), intersecting with higher absence and persistent absence – particularly in secondary.

Our regional focus will be on:

• reception year quality: improving good level of development (GLD) measures to national average or better, with a focus on writing and number
• inclusive mainstream: enabling pupils to access high-quality provision which meets learners’ needs close to home, and further reducing exclusion
• attendance: early intervention to develop strong attendance habits in pupils and their families and reducing persistent absence, particularly for disadvantaged groups
• attainment, with a focus on English and maths: improving outcomes for pupils facing the greatest barriers – particularly at key stage 4 (KS4) where attainment is lowest nationally – thereby raising attainment for all pupils and reducing the disadvantage gap, as referenced in Every child achieving and thriving

What RISE will deliver in the North East

To achieve our regional focus ambitions we will carry out the following activities.

Reception year quality

RISE support for reception improvement.

• Launch and sustain 5 RISE reception networks led by strong early years schools; align with Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs to spread excellent practice, host visits and offer continuing professional development (CPD).
• Prioritise early language and foundational literacy and maths; increase uptake of evidence‑based programmes (for example, Nuffield Early Language Intervention) and prepare for enhanced reception offers via English and maths hubs from September 2026.
• Strengthen leadership for early years (National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and updated child development training), and embed reception priorities within whole‑school improvement and data‑informed conversations with responsible bodies (Good level of development dashboards and contextual tools).

Inclusive mainstream

RISE support for inclusive mainstream education.

• Expand local high‑quality SEND provision using regional high‑needs capital; support mainstream inclusion bases, specialist classrooms and outreach partnerships; share models via Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance (RIIA) and SEND networks.
• Develop in-school inclusion bases on a three-tier model to intervene early and reintegrate learners, wherever possible. Strengthen early identification and support, including:
  • partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools
  • early language support for every child
  • alternative provision specialist taskforces
  • family hubs
• Equip schools via the £200 million SEND teacher training uplift and whole -school SEND offers; reduce suspensions and exclusions and Children Missing Education (CME) through hub‑led support, reviews and multi‑agency pathways.

Attendance

RISE support for improving attendance in schools.

• Scale practical, school‑led support through 8 attendance and behaviour hubs and a regional hub adviser; provide intensive packages for highest‑need schools and a wider support offer across areas for peer learning.
• Use Similar Schools Comparison reports and action learning sets to connect statistical neighbours, share strategies, and strengthen implementation; focus on key stage 2 to key stage 3 transition, where schools will be supported to create positive induction experiences and nurturing environments that help pupils feel a genuine sense of belonging in their secondary schools.
• Maximise adoption of Department for Education (DfE) attendance tools; hold structured attendance conversations with responsible bodies, looking closely at the 5 to 15% band and high‑risk cohorts (for example free school meals and SEND).

Attainment, with a focus on English and maths

RISE support for improving attainment in schools.

• Tackle key stage 3 stagnation and raise key stage 4 outcomes with focused literacy and numeracy improvement and alignment to the key stage 3 alliance; spotlight high‑impact, evidence‑based practice through webinars and peer visits.
• Focused support for disadvantaged learners, including White working-class pupils; use research‑informed strategies for engagement, home learning and aspiration, and coordinate hub support (English, maths, research schools).
• Establish a key stage 2 network (led by Northern Education Trust with WISE Academies) to boost primary consistency in reading, writing and maths and sustain momentum into key stage 3.

Regional themes

The activities in the regional focus section are supported by 3 cross‑cutting themes that underpin all priorities and enable consistent, sustainable improvement across the North East:

• Collaboration and partnerships: deepen structured work with local authorities, trusts, dioceses, Schools North East and Mayoral Combined Authorities; deploy RISE advisers to broker capacity and focus on hotspots.
• Tackling disadvantage: align hub offers; strengthen early identification and community-engaged support to narrow entrenched gaps.
• Leadership: promote NPQs and peer networks; strengthen networks for attendance, inclusion and curriculum innovation, and embed system-wide alignment.

Accessing RISE support and local hubs

RISE advisers will connect you to regional hubs and peer schools. The following links have more information:

• RISE North East webpage – central point for resources and links to regional support.
• Attendance and behaviour Hubs – intensive support, networks, transition and parental engagement practice, and use of data tools.
• English Hubs – phonics, early reading, key stage 3 reading routines; targeted support for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.
• Maths Hubs – early numeracy through to key stage 3 and key stage 4; diagnostic assessment and lesson study to build fluency and confidence.
• Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs – early language, workforce development, practice showcases and cross‑school collaboration.
• Teaching School Hubs – NPQs and leadership pathways, tailored CPD across roles.