Guidance

RISE regional plan: North West

Updated 3 July 2026

Applies to England

Plan purpose

The North West regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) regional plan sets out how universal RISE will be delivered locally to improve outcomes for all children and young people.

By bringing partners together around the 4 national priorities, it provides shared direction, coherence and a practical framework for strengthening practice, building capacity and supporting sustained improvement.

The plan aims to:

• Translate national priorities into a clear local approach, ensuring evidence-informed work on reception year quality, inclusive mainstream provision, attendance and attainment.
• Build on existing strengths, complementing practice already underway across schools, trusts, local authorities and mayoral combined authorities (MCAs).
• Align with wider local strategies, recognising statutory and place-based responsibilities, and stepping back where local authorities and MCAs are best placed to lead.
• Support and connect school and trust improvement, enabling collaboration on shared challenges and rapid spread of learning.
• Strengthen relationships across the wider system, including early years, health and care, recognising that progress – especially on inclusion – depends on multi-agency effort.
• Provide a clear line into national reform, including developing special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) changes and the national priority on inclusive mainstream.
• Embed RISE within regional delivery, ensuring activity is coordinated, coherent and impactful.

Delivering RISE depends on every part of the system working with purpose. No single organisation can deliver improvement at the scale required.

The RISE regional plan calls on all partners to:

• bring their strengths, insight and leadership
• focus on actions that make the biggest difference
• share, test and refine practice quickly
• use evidence well
• contribute to a more connected, confident and resilient improvement system

This is not about doing everything. It is about prioritising what will make the biggest difference, doing it well, and doing it together – so every child and young person can thrive.

Foreword by North West Regional Director

I am pleased to introduce the North West RISE regional plan, which sets out our collective ambition to improve outcomes for all children and young people across the region.

The North West is home to a diverse and vibrant education system, with schools, trusts and local authorities demonstrating strong innovation, collaboration and professional expertise.

At the same time, the region faces persistent, and in some areas increasing, socioeconomic disadvantage. 11 of 24 local authorities are among the 25 most deprived nationally.

The persistent challenges in the region are reflected in outcomes, with attainment below national averages at every key stage, and the widest gaps seen in early years and GCSE performance. Increasing levels of SEND need, widening attainment gaps, concerns around attendance, particularly at the transition from primary to secondary, and increasing numbers of pupils educated at home further add to the complexity.

Understanding this context is essential to targeting support effectively and ensuring it has meaningful impact.

To meet these challenges, we must strengthen early education, because strong foundations in reception shape a child’s future. We must raise attainment, so every pupil can fulfil their potential. We must improve attendance, because no child should miss out on the learning that drives opportunity. And we must champion inclusion in mainstream settings, ensuring every learner feels they belong.

These 4 priorities sit at the heart of our commitment to children and families across the North West.

This plan sets out how we will deliver the RISE national priorities through a lens that reflects the North West’s unique context. By aligning our work to these priorities and harnessing the strengths of our education system, this plan provides a framework for collaboration between schools, trusts, local authorities, dioceses, and wider partners.

Together, we aim to build a more inclusive, resilient and high-performing system – one that ensures every child benefits from that commitment and contributes to delivering the national ambition set out in Every child achieving and thriving.

The intended impact is to drive system-wide improvement, strengthen collaboration and reduce variation in outcomes. We want to shift the system together, building shared responsibility and focusing collective effort where it will make the greatest difference.

I invite all partners to bring their expertise and leadership to this mission so that every young person in the North West benefits from an excellent education.

Mark Taylor.

Interim Regional Director, North West

Meet the North West RISE advisers

As the RISE advisers for the North West, we are delighted to introduce ourselves and to share our commitment to supporting schools, leaders, and practitioners across the region. Together, we bring experience in school improvement, trust leadership, and system-wide collaboration, united by our belief in the potential of every child and the power of working together to drive improvement.

The RISE programme provides a framework to strengthen practice, build capacity, and improve outcomes across the North West. As advisers, we work closely with schools to deliver both universal support, available to all schools, and targeted support for schools needing additional guidance. This ensures that every school benefits from high-quality advice, while directing extra resources where they can have the greatest impact.

We work collaboratively across the North West education system, listening to practitioners, engaging with partners, and drawing on strong practice from across the sector.

Our aim is to implement the RISE programme in a way that meets national expectations while responding to the specific needs of schools in the North West.

We are:

• Karen Bramwell OBE
• Geoff Baker
• Nic Brindle
• Angela Holdsworth MBE
• Gary Kelly
• Linda Magrath OBE
• Melissa Young

Together, we are committed to working alongside schools across the North West, providing challenge, support, and professional dialogue that strengthens practice and builds lasting capacity. Through this collaborative approach, we will help translate the RISE priorities into meaningful action in classrooms and communities.

Please reach out to us by contacting: northwest.riseregionalmailbox@education.gov.uk.

Regional focus for the North West

We have engaged extensively with local partners, including local authorities, dioceses, trust leaders and hubs about the RISE national priorities and how these can be supported for our region.

This engagement has been complemented by detailed analysis of published regional and local datasets to identify shared priorities, systemic pressures, and areas where coordinated action can have the greatest impact: Explore our statistics and data - Explore education statistics has more information.

While these trends are evident across the North West as a whole, we recognise that there will be variation at school level. Local contexts and individual school circumstances will continue to inform how these priorities are addressed in practice.

Universal RISE will focus on the following priorities in the North West:

• Reception year quality: strengthening oracy and communication and language development to improve good level of development (GLD) outcomes.
• Inclusive mainstream: earlier, more accurate identification of SEND and the embedding of inclusive, high-quality teaching practices.
• Attendance: improving attendance across key transition points, particularly from key stage 2 to key stage 3.
• Attainment, with a focus on English and maths: improving reading and writing fluency at key stage 2 and maths outcomes at key stage 4.

The North West is home to more than 7 million residents and encompasses a diverse mix of urban centres, industrial towns, coastal communities and rural villages. From the major cities of Manchester and Liverpool to the rural landscapes of Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, the region reflects strong local identity and deep community roots.

Over 900,000 children and young people attend state-funded schools across the region, learning in settings that range from large multiform entry primaries in growing urban areas, to small village schools serving more remote communities.

The system is equally diverse in structure, with around 60% of schools local authority maintained and 40% in multi-academy trusts, with a small proportion operating as standalone academies. This includes provision across 24 local authorities and 10 dioceses, reflecting the significant role of both civic and church school partners in shaping the educational landscape.

This varied landscape underscores the importance of working collectively across all provider types to deliver improvement at scale and ensure every child benefits from a high-quality education.

The pupil population is varied and continues to evolve. Around a third of pupils identify with minority ethnic groups, and many schools support learners who speak English as an additional language.

Socio-economic need varies significantly, with some of the highest levels of deprivation nationally found in parts of Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and coastal Lancashire, sitting alongside comparatively affluent areas in Cheshire and parts of Lancashire.

The proportion of pupils with SEND is also above the national average, and patterns of need differ across the region, contributing to diverse educational and pastoral demands.

This complexity is further heightened by the North West’s looked-after children profile, with rates more than a third higher than the national average, placing additional demands on schools and local partners.

Together, these characteristics create a wide range of local contexts and strengths across the North West. Schools, trusts, local authorities and wider partners work collaboratively to navigate this complexity, sharing expertise and responding to local challenges while maintaining a focus on high-quality provision for every learner.

The region’s story is one of strong professional commitment, resilience and ambition, with educators and communities working collectively to improve outcomes and create the conditions for all children and young people to achieve and thrive. Universal RISE will complement this collective endeavour, providing a coherent, sector-led offer aligned to the 4 key priorities that underpin improvement across the region.

Reception year quality

RISE support for reception improvement.

Overview

Reception outcomes in the North West continue to lag national benchmarks. In 2024 to 2025, 65% of children achieved a good level of development (GLD), below the national average of 68.3%, making the North West the lowest performing region nationally.

Performance varies significantly across local authorities, with Trafford, Warrington and Cheshire East above national levels, while more urban areas such as Manchester, Rochdale and Tameside remain well below.

Outcomes for vulnerable groups are a particular concern, with pupils eligible for free school meals and children with SEND achieving lower levels of development than their peers nationally.

Across the region, this gap to national performance also reflects the substantial distance to travel to reach the national ambition of 75% of children achieving a GLD. With around 80,000 children in the reception cohort each year, closing the 10-percentage point gap would require approximately 8,300 additional children annually to meet age-related expectations by the end of reception.

Achieving this milestone will require many more children, particularly in the localities and cohorts currently furthest behind, to reach expected levels of development. This highlights the stark variation across the region and reinforces the need for focused early years support, particularly in disadvantaged communities, to ensure more children make the progress needed in the early years foundation stage.

Regional focus for North West on reception year quality

The North West is prioritising reception improvement with a clear focus on strengthening early communication and literacy.

Analysis over time shows that the communication and language early learning goals (ELGs) have been the most persistent area of weakness across the region, with 75% of local authorities below the national average.

Writing has also remained the weakest literacy outcome for several years, typically sitting 4 to 6 percentage points below reading. Together, these longer-term patterns underline where sustained early language investment can have the greatest impact.

To address this, the regional focus centres on building strong oracy and early language foundations, aligned with national evidence on what works. The Education Endowment Foundation reports that high-quality communication and language approaches can secure around 7 months’ additional progress, while phonological awareness programmes can add a further 6 months, directly supporting early reading and writing development.

By embedding communication-rich pedagogy and focused early literacy support, the region aims to reduce the 15 to 20-point variation in GLD outcomes across local authorities and improve results for children most affected by early language gaps, including those eligible for the early years pupil premium and pupils identified with SEND.

This focused, evidence-informed approach provides a strong platform for raising reception attainment across the North West.

Proposed strategies to address reception year quality in the North West region

Activity 1: establishing regional RISE reception networks

We have launched 5 RISE reception networks across the North West, led by schools with consistently strong GLD outcomes. These networks will provide structured opportunities for leaders and practitioners to work together on the core elements of effective early years practice.

We will work with each network to focus on strengthening reception practice including through communication, rich environments and high-quality adult–child interaction. This will include signposting to support from English hubs for early language and systematic early reading support.

Leaders will benefit from practical collaboration, including focused network sessions, opportunities to see strong practice in action, and support to refine implementation within their own context. Schools with lower outcomes will receive more enhanced support to help build capacity quickly and sustainably.

Over time, the networks will develop a confident regional community of early years leaders, sharing what works and supporting improvement across all settings.

Activity 2: using GLD data to drive data-informed conversations

We will work with responsible bodies to analyse GLD outcomes and identify variation, ensuring improvement activity is guided by an accurate understanding of reception performance, particularly in communication and language and literacy.

This includes supporting schools and responsible bodies to make effective use of their GLD report, which provides clear summaries of early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP) data, contextual GLD scores and pupil group insights. These help identify strengths, pinpoint areas for development and inform decisions across early years provision.

Through structured conversations with responsible bodies about the national priorities, we will strengthen leaders’ interpretation of reception data, explore contributory factors and highlight effective approaches already in place within the region, particularly those that strengthen vocabulary acquisition, oral language development and early phonics.

Existing Department for Education (DfE) support offers will be mapped to avoid duplication and ensure coherence. This disciplined use of data will enable focused and tailored input where it is most needed, especially in schools with persistently lower outcomes in communication and literacy, ensuring that improvement strategies focus on the foundational skills that drive wider curriculum success.

Activity 3: strengthening early language through Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI)

We will work with school and trust leaders to promote and increase uptake of fully funded DfE early language programmes, including NELI, so that reception pupils with identified speech, language and communication needs receive high-quality, evidence-based support.

For leaders, this ensures that more intensive intervention sits alongside strong general provision, creating a coherent and consistent approach to early communication development across early years settings.

Regional coordination will prioritise areas with historically lower engagement, helping leaders secure equitable access to specialist expertise. By strengthening vocabulary, narrative skills and listening comprehension, NELI reinforces the core foundations needed for phonics, early reading and writing.

Through consistent implementation and clear progress monitoring, schools will embed sustainable early language practice that reduces barriers to literacy and increases pupils’ readiness to access the full reception curriculum.

Activity 4: expanding engagement with English and maths hubs

School leaders and practitioners across the region will be supported to make fuller use of the expertise available through the English and maths hubs, ensuring that reception provision is strengthened in early reading, language development and foundational maths.

Recognising that strong communication underpins both literacy and mathematical reasoning, this activity will focus on helping staff embed high-quality, adult–child interaction, precise mathematical language, and structured early reading practice in everyday classroom routines.

Leaders and practitioners will be encouraged and supported to access the full range of existing hub offers, including Mastering Number at reception and key stage 1, high-quality phonics programmes, early language development support, and reading for pleasure activity.

Eligible schools will also benefit from audits, showcase events, and in-school specialist input that provide practical guidance and model effective pedagogy to strengthen early reading and secure robust number sense.

From September 2026, both English and maths hubs will expand their reception year support. English hubs will provide additional training, funding and tailored input from literacy specialists, while maths hubs will introduce an enhanced package designed to reinforce strong early mathematical foundations.

For leaders, this will offer clearer pathways into high-quality professional development; for practitioners, it will mean greater access to practical tools, expert modelling, and classroom-ready approaches.

Through this coordinated engagement, school teams will be able to draw on national expertise in a consistent and coherent way. The strengthened offer will support reception staff to build the early communication, language, literacy and maths foundations that drive improved GLD outcomes and ensure children are well prepared for sustained progress beyond reception.

Inclusive mainstream

RISE support for inclusive mainstream education.

Overview

Inclusion in mainstream schools across the North West presents a complex picture shaped by socioeconomic disadvantage and rising SEND need, with around 26% of pupils receiving SEND support and increasing needs linked to speech, language and communication, and social, emotional and mental health.

Across the region, 56.9% of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) are educated in mainstream settings, broadly in line with the national figure of 57.9%.

However, there is considerable variation between local authorities, with the proportion of pupils in mainstream settings differing by up to 25%, highlighting the uneven patterns of inclusion across the region.

Persistent absence remains disproportionately high for vulnerable cohorts in secondary and special schools, with 41 to 44% of free school meals and SEND support pupils in secondary persistently absent, alongside 38.9% of pupils with an EHCP in secondary and 63.7% in special schools.

In primary schools, overall absence is closer to national levels, but pupils receiving SEND support are absent at a higher rate, at 9.5% compared with 5.2% for all pupils. Suspensions and permanent exclusions are similarly concentrated in secondary schools, where 55.94% of SEND support pupils and 60.17% of EHCP pupils are suspended at least once, and permanent exclusions are higher than national average. However, exclusion and suspension data show that these issues also affect pupils without identified SEND, including those with undiagnosed needs or emerging vulnerabilities.

Recognising these wider patterns helps capture the full picture of inclusion challenges and highlights the need for early identification, timely support, and tailored strategies for all at-risk pupils, not just those formally recognised as having SEND.

Transition into secondary education marks a key pressure point, with rising absence, suspension and widening attainment gaps through key stage 3 and key stage 4.

Collectively, these patterns highlight the importance of fostering inclusive school cultures, embedding high-quality, inclusive teaching practices, and ensuring equitable access to learning, with tailored strategies particularly vital in secondary and special schools and across diverse urban, rural and coastal contexts.

Regional focus for inclusive mainstream

Attainment outcomes for vulnerable learners in the North West remain significantly below the national average, and the region has a particularly high proportion of pupils facing additional challenges.

Inclusive mainstream is about ensuring that every pupil, including those with emerging needs, undiagnosed difficulties or other barriers to learning, can access high-quality, inclusive education. Within this priority, we place particular emphasis on SEND, as these pupils often face the greatest risk of disrupted learning, inconsistent progress and exclusion.

Variability in SEND identification, differences in schools’ confidence in the teaching and learning approaches needed to meet diverse needs effectively, unequal access to specialist units within mainstream schools, and inconsistent use of assistive technology can lead to fragmented experiences, particularly for those with complex or emerging needs.

Attendance and attainment data show that disadvantaged pupils, boys, pupils from white working-class backgrounds, and pupils with SEND are more likely to experience disrupted learning and uneven progress. Recent Ofsted reporting reinforces the importance of early identification, high-quality inclusive teaching, curriculum accessibility and data informed decision making to ensure all learners can thrive.

There is a clear sense of urgency in this work. Securing high-quality inclusive mainstream practice is essential not only to improving pupils’ day-to-day experiences and outcomes now, especially for those with SEND, but also to preparing the system for forthcoming SEND reforms. To get real traction, we need rapid strengthening of inclusive practice across classrooms, confident early identification, and more consistent access to the right support at the right time.

In response, this priority focuses on strengthening the identification of SEND needs, embedding inclusive teaching practices, improving transitions between phases and ensuring equitable access to high-quality provision.

This includes building schools’ capacity to use effective classroom approaches, engaging regional and national support networks, and promoting collaboration between mainstream settings, inclusion bases and families, so that improvements happen quickly and sustainably.

Proposed strategies to address inclusive mainstream in the North West

Activity 1: growing and strengthening local SEND provision

We want to strengthen local SEND provision across the North West so more pupils can access the right support close to home. Working with school leaders, local authorities and trusts, we will focus on developing and improving inclusion bases and other specialist provision in the areas of greatest need.

This work will be supported by the region’s share of the £3.7 billion capital investment announced for 2024 to 2030, designed to create tens of thousands of new places in inclusion bases within mainstream settings, improve the accessibility of buildings and expand specialist school capacity. This investment will help ensure that the development of high-quality local provision is matched by the facilities and infrastructure needed to deliver it.

To support this, school leaders and practitioners will receive clear guidance on what effective provision looks like, along with example staffing models, curriculum and timetable templates, and practical operational advice for setting up and running provision. This will be complemented by support from experienced leaders, opportunities for peer visits and implementation workshops to help embed new approaches.

A North West regional community of practice will be developed for inclusion bases, promoting peer visits, openness and collaborative refinement of practice. In addition, national peer networks coordinated by the DfE will be integrated into regional structures, initially focusing on autism specialisms with future expansion to other needs.

Practitioners will benefit from expert-led sessions, high-quality resources and collaborative problem solving. Together, these steps will help strengthen both mainstream and specialist provision and ensure pupils with SEND experience consistent, high-quality support across the region.

Activity 2: Strengthening inclusive classroom practice, early identification and transitions

We want to strengthen inclusive classroom practice across the North West by improving how schools identify pupils’ needs early and respond effectively within the classroom. Schools will be supported to use simple diagnostic tools, make informed adjustments to teaching, and link emerging needs to their existing provision, helping to reduce unnecessary reliance on external assessment.

We will also help schools make their curriculum more accessible and use appropriate strategies and resources, so all pupils can participate fully. A particular focus will be improving transition from primary to secondary school, ensuring information about pupils’ needs is shared well and support continues smoothly.

This work will be underpinned by the Inclusion Exchange, a regional group of experienced leaders and special educational needs coordinators (SENCos), which will codesign a practical inclusion audit framework and toolkit.

The toolkit will be piloted with schools, pupils, parents and partners to ensure it is useful and easy to apply. Through this approach, schools across the North West will be better equipped to use consistent, inclusive practices across all key stages.

Activity 3: Building school capacity for inclusive excellence

We want to build schools’ capacity across the North West to deliver consistently strong, inclusive education.

To support this, we will encourage schools to make use of the national SEND teacher training offers, including the new DfE-funded programmes, and share whole school SEND approaches in ways that are practical and easy to apply. Schools will have access to tools, examples from practice, and strategies that can be adapted to different contexts, helping SENCOs and leaders strengthen their whole school approach.

Working with the North West Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance (RIIA) and local authorities, we will identify and showcase effective practice, particularly around transitions and consistent support for pupils with additional needs and help schools learn from each other. Learning and resources will be shared through webinars, cluster groups and leadership networks so schools can implement changes confidently and sustainably.

Overall, this activity aims to ensure every child has access to high-quality provision and that schools feel equipped to improve outcomes for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged learners, and other vulnerable groups.

Attendance

RISE support for improving attendance in schools.

Overview

Improving attendance is a national priority, with a target to raise overall attendance by 1.3 percentage points from 2023 to 2024 to over 94% nationally, equivalent to 20 million additional days in school each year by 2028 to 2029.

In the North West, absence remains above national expectations, particularly in secondary and special schools, meaning the region will need to achieve a greater improvement to meet this ambition. Absence increases markedly as pupils move through the phases.

While primary attendance remains comparatively stronger, absence rises in secondary schools and is highest in special schools. Persistent absence follows a similar pattern, indicating that attendance challenges intensify as pupils progress through the system. Vulnerable pupils are disproportionately affected, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

These patterns are also reflected in higher suspension and exclusion rates, reinforcing the link between attendance, vulnerability and educational outcomes. Together, these trends highlight the importance of early intervention and sustained support across key transition points to prevent low-level absence escalating and to protect pupils’ access to learning.

Regional focus for the North West on attendance

Improving attendance through the transition into secondary school and across key stage 3 is therefore a strategic priority for the North West. Data from 2024 to 2025 academic year shows that absence in secondary schools remains significantly higher than in primary (8.6% compared with 5.1%), with a clear increase between year 6 and year 7, and further increases between years 7 and 8.

Persistent absence also increases sharply across phases, rising from 13.1% in primary to 23.8% in secondary and 34.8% in special schools.

Vulnerable groups experience particularly high levels of absence. In 2024 to 2025 persistent absence reached 41.4% for pupils eligible for free school meals, 44.1% for pupils receiving Special Educational Needs (SEN) support, and 38.9% for pupils with an EHCP. Severe absence is also increasing in secondary and special settings, reinforcing the need for earlier identification and targeted intervention.

Within the RISE programme, transition will be used as a strategic lever for improvement. The regional approach will focus on sustaining strong attendance patterns established in primary school and preventing escalation into persistent absence, particularly for pupils in the 5 to 15% absence band.

Focusing on low-level, high-frequency absence across years 5 to 6, 6 to 7 and 7 to 8 will be central to this work. Maintaining year 6 attendance levels into years 7 and 8 in 2023 to 2024 would have seen children attending an additional 1,394,708 sessions across the region, illustrating the potential impact of securing attendance during transition.

Proposed strategies to address attendance in the North West region

Activity 1: embedding data-informed practice through structured engagement with responsible bodies

We want to strengthen how schools across the North West use data to improve attendance by supporting consistent use of the DfE’s attendance tools and creating structured opportunities for school leaders, attendance leads and practitioners to work together.

Through training and collaborative support, school and attendance leads will be helped to analyse patterns more precisely, particularly for pupils in the 5 to 15% absence range, where early action can make a real difference. We will also encourage schools to use year 6 attendance information proactively to support transition and put the right help in place early.

For responsible bodies, structured engagement will use comparative data to highlight effective practice and identify where further improvement is needed, combining constructive challenge with practical next steps. Leaders will be supported to develop proportionate action plans aligned with attendance baseline improvement expectations (ABIEs), maximising the use of tools such as View Your Education Data, the Banding Tool, and the similar school comparison report.

By reviewing data regularly and acting early, schools will be better placed to focus support, identify concerns sooner, and improve attendance outcomes across their communities.

Activity 2: Enhanced support through RISE attendance and behaviour hubs

We want to make sure responsible bodies and school leaders across the North West know about, and can easily access, the support available through the RISE attendance and behaviour hubs.

These hubs offer enhanced help for schools facing high persistent absence, severe absence, or disproportionate permanent exclusions, while also providing wider support for any school that wants to strengthen its practice. Working with attendance and behaviour hub lead schools, schools will receive tailored guidance that reflects their context, including mentoring, peer-to-peer support, and practical strategies they can put in place straight away.

For school leaders and attendance leads, this approach will help strengthen transition planning, build more proactive and sustained engagement with families, and focus support more effectively for vulnerable pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have SEND. By spotting risks earlier and directing focused support to pupils who need it most, we can reduce preventable exclusions and improve attendance across the system.

Activity 3: Transition-focused interventions and local collaboration

We want to make transition into secondary school, and the early stages of key stage 3, a regional priority so that pupils maintain the positive attendance patterns built in key stage 2.

This will involve closer collaboration between trusts, local authorities, and primary and secondary schools across and within local areas, using shared attendance data to identify pupils whose attendance may decline, especially those in the 5 to 15% absence range, and putting timely support in place.

Schools will be supported to strengthen mentoring, engage parents early, and monitor pupils more closely through years 7 and 8. Alongside this, regional networks will bring schools, trusts, and local authorities together for practice exchange, peer review, and collaborative problem-solving.

These forums will focus on transition strategies, consistent attendance systems, and approaches that reduce persistent absence. By combining focused support with strong collaboration across the region, we can ensure clear expectations, smoother transitions, and better attendance outcomes for pupils moving into secondary school.

Activity 4: Multi-agency and inclusion-led support

We will strengthen support in areas with high severe absence and SEND related absence by working with local authorities, responsible bodies, health partners, virtual schools, and local inclusion partnerships to improve early help pathways and inclusive practice.

Through focused work with attendance leads, SENCOs, pastoral teams and behaviour specialists, we will help schools refine escalation processes, reduce reliance on exclusionary approaches, and address the underlying barriers to attendance for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.

By aligning attendance, behaviour and inclusion support across these partners, this activity will provide coordinated, practical help to schools and contribute to reducing persistent absence and preventable permanent exclusions for the most vulnerable learners.

Attainment with a focus on English and maths

RISE support for improving attainment in schools.

Overview

Attainment across the North West broadly reflects national patterns, in that while outcomes have shown some recovery following the pandemic, they have not yet returned to 2019 levels, and attainment gaps between pupil groups remain a key challenge, as does the gap to national in most key stages.

At key stage 2, the combined reading, writing, and maths measure stands at 61% for 2025, below 2019 outcomes, and slightly below the current national average. Writing is the lowest-performing subject across the region, with a 2025 score of 71%, while recovery in reading varies across local areas.

Maths at key stage 2 is broadly in line with national averages and contributes positively to the combined measure.

At key stage 4, Attainment 8 and the proportions of pupils achieving grade 4+ and 5+ in English and maths remain below the national average. Maths continues to be the most significant challenge at secondary level, particularly in communities with higher levels of disadvantage. While key stage 2 maths outcomes are broadly on track, this does not consistently translate into strong GCSE outcomes.

This suggests that the key challenge lies in sustaining and deepening mathematical understanding through key stage 3 and into key stage 4, including curriculum sequencing, retention of core concepts, and pupils’ ability to apply knowledge in more complex contexts.

Disadvantaged pupils, including white working-class pupils in some areas, alongside pupils with SEND and those with low prior attainment, are less likely to achieve strong outcomes. Addressing key stage 2 literacy and strengthening maths progression from key stage 3 through to key stage 4 remain fundamental to narrowing these gaps.

Regional focus for the North West

The region will focus on improving key stage 2 literacy, particularly writing and reading, through strengthened reading fluency, vocabulary development and writing composition. This will be supported by coherent curriculum progression from key stage 1 and robust formative assessment. Maths at key stage 2 is broadly on track and does not require additional regional intervention at this stage.

At key stage 4, improving maths attainment is the principal driver of overall performance. A key priority is ensuring that the secure foundations developed at key stage 2 are built upon effectively in secondary school. Strengthening curriculum sequencing, academic challenge and cumulative knowledge development through key stage 3 will be essential to support progress by the end of key stage 4.

The region will also focus support for pupils experiencing multiple vulnerabilities, including disadvantage and SEND, to help them make sustained progress. This includes addressing attendance patterns, which disproportionately affect disadvantaged pupils and white working-class pupils in some areas and can compound gaps in attainment over time.

Early years starting points, attendance patterns and regional disadvantage gaps will be monitored closely to inform intervention and support.

Strong practice already exists across many schools, trusts and local authorities. Continued collaboration, effective use of assessment data and inclusive academic pathways will be central to securing sustained improvement.

Proposed strategies to address attainment in the North West region

Activity 1: embedding data-informed practice through structured regional attainment conversations

We will work with responsible bodies, school leaders and practitioners to strengthen the consistent use of national attainment tools, including Analyse School Performance and published key stage 2 and key stage 4 datasets.

Structured regional attainment conversations with responsible bodies will create space for leaders and teachers to explore comparative insights, understand local and regional trends, and identify where performance is static or declining, particularly for priority pupil groups such as disadvantaged pupils, white working-class pupils, and pupils with SEND.

These conversations will offer constructive challenge, support shared problem-solving, and lead to proportionate, time-bound action planning aligned with national expectations. Collaborative networks will give school leaders, practitioners, and responsible bodies opportunities to share effective practice, learn from each other, and reflect on regional priorities.

Through this approach, we aim to strengthen diagnostic practice, sharpen curriculum evaluation, and support sustained improvement in key stage 2 literacy outcomes and key stage 4 attainment in English and maths for all pupils.

Activity 2: targeted deployment of RISE English and maths hubs, including AI-supported assessment

Using regional data, we will coordinate engagement with English and maths hubs to prioritise support for school leaders and practitioners where outcomes are below national benchmarks or where improvement has stalled.

The hubs will offer practical guidance on curriculum sequencing, evidence-informed pedagogy, early reading, fluency and teaching for mastery, alongside targeted interventions at key stage 3 and key stage 4 to support teachers and leaders in strengthening subject-specific practice.

A regionwide artificial intelligence (AI) supported assessment service will complement this work by providing reliable, consistent marking and feedback, generating actionable insights, and offering scaffolded resources to reduce lost learning.

This service will help teachers, subject leads and senior leaders identify attainment trends for priority groups, including disadvantaged pupils, white working-class pupils and pupils with SEND, enabling more personalised teaching and more inclusive classroom practice.

Engagement will be supported through collaborative Continuing Professional Development (CPD), webinars and live marking clinics, giving staff practical tools they can apply immediately.

Where attainment is affected by persistent absence, alignment with attendance and behaviour hubs will ensure strategies are coordinated, recognising the cumulative impact of missed learning on pupils’ progress.

The expected impact is improved key stage 2 reading and writing outcomes, strengthened key stage 4 maths performance, and greater consistency in attainment across the region for all priority groups.

Activity 3: strengthening key stage 2 to key stage 3 transition and curriculum coherence

Focused cross-phase work between primary and secondary leaders will strengthen curriculum coherence at transition, ensuring cumulative knowledge development from key stage 2 into key stage 3.

By bringing together year 6 and year 7 leaders, English and maths subject leads, SENCOs and attendance leads, we will use key stage 2 attainment and attendance information to identify pupils at risk of early key stage 3 decline, particularly disadvantaged pupils, white working-class pupils and those with low prior attainment and shape support from the start of year 7.

Regional networks will then support schools and responsible bodies to share effective practice in inclusive classroom approaches, curriculum alignment and securing appropriate challenge in English and maths.

Strengthened parental engagement will help reinforce expectations and continuity of learning. Overall, this activity aims to reduce stalled progress in early key stage 3 and support stronger outcomes that build towards improved key stage 4 attainment.

Activity 4: Strengthening multi-agency and inclusion-led support for disadvantaged and SEND pupils

We will work alongside local authority SEND services, inclusion teams, responsible bodies, schools, practitioners and wider partners to provide early and effective support for pupils facing the greatest barriers to learning.

Regional analysis shows that disadvantaged pupils with SEND are disproportionately represented among those not achieving expected standards at key stage 2 and key stage 4. This includes a particular focus in some areas on white working-class pupils who experience overlapping challenges linked to disadvantage, attendance, and lower prior attainment.

This activity will bring together inclusive classroom approaches, accessible curriculum design, focused assessment, and AI-assisted feedback, where appropriate, to strengthen inclusive mainstream practice and reduce lost learning.

Regional inclusion forums and collaborative planning will support schools in embedding effective practices and using standardised, actionable data to track progress. The aim is to reduce attainment gaps, improve maths and literacy outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, including white working-class pupils in areas where this group is significantly underperforming and pupils with SEND, and to secure more consistent progress trajectories from primary through secondary.

Activity 5: Collaborative regional networks and sharing of best practice to drive equitable attainment

We will strengthen the North West’s existing regional collaboration model to enhance professional networks across phases and improve literacy and maths outcomes. Cross phase networks will bring together school leaders, practitioners, responsible bodies and regional partners for structured practice exchange, curriculum and pedagogy workshops, and joint review of what is working.

These networks will also support schools to examine outcomes for specific pupil groups, including disadvantaged and white working-class pupils, and identify strategies that improve engagement, attendance and attainment.

At key stage 2, we will build on existing primary leader networks and create additional regional groups only where gaps remain. These will focus on strengthening reading, writing and maths outcomes, working closely with maths hubs and English hubs. This work began in February 2026, with a refreshed programme planned for autumn 2026 informed by this year’s key stage 2 outcomes.

Regional and local leaders will be signposted to high-quality resources, including the DfE Writing Framework and Oak National Academy, to support consistent pedagogy and curriculum delivery. We will also continue to work with local authorities where recovery to pre-pandemic attainment levels remains slow, aligning support to areas of greatest need.

At key stage 3, we will strengthen current secondary networks and introduce new ones only where they do not yet exist. These networks will link directly to the RISE key stage 3 Alliance, launching in March 2026, with regional representatives supporting local dissemination of learning and effective practice.

Across all strands, priority pupil groups, particularly disadvantaged pupils (including white working-class pupils in areas where outcomes are weakest) and pupils with SEND, will remain central to planning, analysis and evaluation.

By aligning national initiatives to regional need and strengthening collaboration where it already exists, this activity aims to reduce variability, raise expectations and accelerate progress in literacy and maths for all pupils.

Regional themes

Regional system enablers: North West

Delivery of the 4 national RISE priorities in the North West depends on strong shared system conditions. These are the foundations that enable partners across the region to deliver consistently, sustainably and at scale.

These enablers are reinforced through school improvement architecture and governance arrangements, ensuring leadership, data capability, collaboration and technology are embedded and accessible to all schools.

Theme 1: system leadership and collective stewardship

Why this matters

The North West has one of the most varied education landscapes in England, with large urban systems (for example, Manchester and Liverpool), rapidly expanding MAT footprints, smaller rural authorities, and mixed patterns of school improvement capacity.

Strong collaboration between trusts, local authorities and maintained schools is essential to improving outcomes at scale. Delivering consistently across this diversity requires aligned leadership, shared direction and strong stewardship across the whole system.

It also requires a clear, coherent universal RISE offer that schools can easily navigate, supported by consistent communication, effective signposting and trusted messages across partners.

What this includes:

• Strengthening cross-authority and cross-trust leadership capability, particularly where capacity is stretched in smaller or coastal local authorities.
• Encouraging take-up of national professional qualifications (NPQs) and promoting the leadership development work of RISE hubs and teaching school hubs. By working with CPD providers, NPQ opportunities will be widely accessible and aligned to regional priorities, helping leaders drive improvement across schools and networks.
• Establishing region-wide governance arrangements that align delivery across the 4 priorities while respecting local variation.
• Creating structured leadership forums linking reception, key stage 2, and key stage 3 leads to address transition, fluctuating outcomes, and local system pressures (for example SEND identification, attendance patterns).
• Building a regional culture of collective responsibility, ensuring that high-performing areas contribute to improvement in areas with persistent challenges.
• Ensuring universal RISE is communicated clearly and consistently, with strong signposting and a credible, joined up offer that schools recognise and trust.

Theme 2: data, insight and learning for improvement

Why this matters

The North West experiences significant intraregional variation across GLD, SEND identification, absence, suspensions, key stage 2 writing and key stage 4 maths.

Shared insight is essential to understand need, focus support effectively and refine delivery over time. In some areas, this includes better understanding the drivers of underperformance for specific pupil groups, including white working-class pupils, and identifying where evidence-based approaches are improving outcomes so they can be scaled more widely.

What this includes:

Strengthening consistent use of DfE tools and evidence frameworks across hubs, trusts and local authorities, including:

• Building data confidence and fluency, for example in analysing attendance patterns and identifying emerging risks for vulnerable groups.
• Embedding structured regional review cycles to analyse performance variation and adapt delivery accordingly.
• Using data to test, evidence and scale approaches that demonstrate positive impact, ensuring that regional action is informed by what works.
• Using shared insight to focus coordinated regional action in areas with persistent gaps, including learning from effective practice within the region and connecting with other parts of the country facing similar challenges, particularly in improving outcomes for white working-class pupils.

Theme 3: Inclusive collaboration and improvement capacity

Why this matters

The North West has strong but uneven improvement infrastructure, including large MATs, active dioceses, established English and maths hubs, developing attendance and behaviour hubs, and a wide range of specialist and mainstream SEND provision.

However, improvement is not consistent across the region. Some local areas and responsible bodies continue to experience slower recovery in attainment, higher persistent absence, or uneven access to inclusive provision.

This means that collaboration across trusts, local authorities, dioceses and maintained schools must be more focused, ensuring effective practice flows deliberately from stronger areas to those facing the greatest challenges.

What this includes:

• Strengthening cross phase networks to support transition, curriculum continuity and early identification.
• Focusing hub and network engagement toward lower performing local authorities, trusts and geographical outliers where improvement is lagging.
• Embedding inclusive practice and early identification across all phases, recognising high levels of SEND need, rising social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) demand, and uneven access to specialist units within mainstream settings.
• Facilitating structured school to school collaboration and peer review that connects strong practice with areas facing the most entrenched variation.

Theme 4: responsible use of AI and education technology

Why this matters

Used effectively, AI and education technology can reduce workload, strengthen teaching quality and improve inclusion, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. National policy now provides clearer direction, training routes and frameworks to support safe and effective adoption.

For a region as large and diverse as the North West, consistent and responsible use of AI and technology can help reduce workload pressures, improve curriculum delivery and support inclusive classroom practice, while maintaining high standards of safeguarding and data protection.

What this includes:

• Signposting practical training and examples of effective AI use to support planning, feedback and administrative efficiency
• Aligning school and trust policies with DfE guidance on product safety, data protection, safeguarding and academic integrity
• Promoting assistive technology and inclusive digital practice, particularly to support pupils with SEND, English as an additional language (EAL) and other vulnerable groups
• Supporting leaders to identify high-quality, reliable tools, drawing on national programmes and emerging evaluations

Ambitions

Over the next year, the department will monitor our progress against the following RISE national priorities and regional theme ambitions in the North West region.

Reception year quality

• By September 2026: 5 RISE reception networks are fully established and operational, with early collaborative activity underway and initial examples of effective practice shared across the region.
• By September 2026: English and maths hubs have expanded regional reception support, delivering training, specialist input, and showcase events, with schools engaged in Mastering Number, phonics, early language, and reading for pleasure programmes.
• By April 2027: uptake of Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) has increased in focused areas, and schools are embedding communication-rich pedagogy and early literacy practice.

Inclusive mainstream

• By April 2026: the Inclusion Exchange has co‑designed and piloted a regional inclusion audit framework and toolkit with schools, parents, pupils and multi‑agency partners, supporting early identification of SEND, high-quality inclusive teaching, and inclusive classroom practice across all key stages.
• By April 2027: high-quality local SEND provision, including inclusion bases, is expanded in focused areas, with peer networks and regional communities of practice actively supporting schools.

Attendance

• By April 2027: structured engagement with responsible bodies is embedded, with early reductions in absence for pupils in the 5 to 15% band.
• By April 2027: 11 attendance and behaviour hubs are fully operational, with schools receiving tailored guidance, mentoring, and peer support. Targeted interventions are in place for pupils with high absence or exclusion risk, including disadvantaged and SEND cohorts, and early evidence shows improved attendance and reduced exclusions.

Attainment, with a focus on English and maths

• By February 2026: key stage 2 attainment network is operational, sharing high-quality literacy and numeracy resources, with early improvements expected in 2026 key stage 2 reading, writing, and maths outcomes.
• By March 2026: key stage 3 secondary networks linked to the RISE key stage 3 alliance are established, supporting curriculum coherence and progression into key stage 4.
• By April 2027: regional collaboration and inclusion-led support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is active, with early evidence of reduced attainment gaps.

Regional system enablers

By April 2026: AI and education technology guidance has been shared and piloted in schools, with early adoption supporting teaching quality, workload reduction, and inclusive practice.

How these ambitions relate to ‘Every child achieving and thriving’

Reception year quality

• The Best Start in Life Strategy sets out our national ambition for 75% of reception children to achieve GLD by 2028. We have agreed bespoke GLD targets for each local authority.
• Best Start Local Plans will outline how local authorities will deliver these ambitions across the full early years system (health, family services, education, childcare providers, stronger practice hubs, schools and the wider community).

Inclusive mainstream

• A national ambition for a more inclusive mainstream system so that more children can be educated in a local mainstream school with timely, flexible and accessible support.
• The RISE regional plan sets out how RISE teams will deliver this through increased inclusion base provision in schools and strong local partnership working to support children with additional needs.

Attendance

• A national target to raise attendance by 1.3 percentage points from 2023 to 2024, reaching over 94% by 2028 to 2029 (equivalent to 20 million additional days in school).
• Every mainstream school will be set an attendance baseline improvement expectation (ABIE), which sets out expected improvements to support national progress.

Attainment

• The national ambition for the share of pupils achieving the expected standard in key stage 2 reading, writing and maths to rise above the 2019 peak (65% overall; 51% disadvantaged) by the end of this Parliament.
• In the North West, our ambition is for key stage 2 outcomes to reach 65% for all pupils and 51% for disadvantaged pupils by the end of this Parliament.

RISE universal school improvement architecture

The North West RISE page has a range of school improvement resources, including access to RISE hubs, networks, and practical tools to support your improvement journey.

Purpose and approach

The North West will develop, coordinate and continuously improve a coherent school improvement architecture to support delivery of RISE. By architecture, we mean the integrated system of DfE designated hubs, recognised sector-led networks and national alliances, alongside the governance, communication and wider structures that connect them. This ensures support is aligned and mutually reinforcing, rather than individual programmes operating in parallel, enabling consistent, high-quality support for all schools.

The region benefits from a long-standing culture of collaboration and strong place-based partnerships. RISE builds on these strengths, providing a unifying framework that brings coherence, alignment and clarity to existing activity, while enabling new national developments to be integrated smoothly. This architecture operates within, and is strengthened by, the system enablers outlined above.

The North West approach connects maths hubs, English hubs, teaching school hubs, music hubs and recognised regional networks as part of a coordinated system working towards shared priorities, aligned with national RISE rollouts including RISE reception networks, attendance and behaviour hubs and key stage 2 and key stage 3 developments. This ensures that activity is collectively steered, strategically aligned and experienced by schools as a coherent regional offer.

1. Core regional expectations

Enabling structures that connect the system

The North West will continue to build on regional and sub-regional structures to ensure clear communication, strong engagement, and alignment with RISE priorities across all schools, trusts, and local authorities.

Key enabling structures include:

• regional trust and CEO forums, including MAT CEO networks and diocesan boards
• local authority education partnerships and regional local authority groupings coordinated through North West Association of Director of Children’s Services (NWADCS)
• primary and secondary headteacher networks that support consistent messaging, peer learning and coherent engagement with RISE across local areas
• hub partnerships and established phase or subject networks
• strategic partnerships with NWADCS, the RIIA, and diocesan education teams

These structures will:

• provide clear, consistent communication routes about RISE priorities, offers, and opportunities, using coordinated messaging and shared briefings
• ensure full engagement across trusts and local authorities, reflecting the diversity of governance models
• act as two-way channels for feedback, insight, and shared problem-solving
• connect effectively with national alliances and DfE programmes, ensuring regional activity aligns with national expectations

Where gaps exist, new networks will be established or existing ones strengthened to ensure all schools are reached.

Regional delivery architecture

The North West will coordinate a coherent delivery architecture composed of DfE designated hubs, recognised networks, and national alliances, ensuring they are accessible, connected and aligned to RISE priorities.

Current and emerging delivery components include:

• attendance and behaviour hubs
• English hubs, maths hubs, and teaching school hubs supporting subject, phase, and workforce development
• SEND hubs and inclusive practice networks
• reception-focused networks and early years stronger practice hubs

National developments will be integrated coherently:

• RISE reception networks to support early language and oracy
• attendance and behaviour hubs reaching full maturity
• RISE key stage 3 Alliance (expected March 2026)
• key stage 2 regional network (launched February 2026)

Regional priorities include:

• Growing equitable access, prioritising high-need schools or those less connected to support.
• Aligning hubs’ delivery and local authority improvement offers so RISE is experienced as a cohesive and complementary support offer for schools.
• Sponsoring and participating in networks with hubs, local authorities and sector partners to avoid duplication and strengthen coherence.

Together, hubs, networks, and enabling structures form a high-quality architecture supporting the 4 national RISE priorities consistently and sustainably.

2. Shared definitions

Hub: a DfE hub is a designated centre of expertise that supports schools to improve practice in a specific priority area. Hubs bring together specialist knowledge, provide professional development, and facilitate networks so that schools can access high-quality, evidence-informed approaches.

Network: a recognised, sector-led group focused on collaboration, peer support, and best practice sharing.

Alliance: a nationally constituted, time-limited, DfE initiated group of sector leaders focused on a specific priority.

3. Future architecture

The intended steady state architecture is connected, aligned with the priorities set out in this plan, and evidence led, ensuring every school can access support aligned to need, phase, and priority.

Component roles:

• hubs provide depth and expertise
• networks offer breadth, reach, and peer learning
• national alliances act as time-limited accelerators for system improvement
• enabling structures ensure coordination, communication, and accountability

Link to system enablers:

• strong leadership across schools, trusts, and system level
• financial sustainability through efficient shared infrastructure
• deep local partnerships with local authorities, dioceses, and combined authorities
• effective use of data, digital tools, and emerging technologies

Inclusive reach is achieved through focused outreach, flexible delivery models, and proactive identification of schools with lower engagement.

4. Insight, feedback and impact

• support and quality assurance: regular review and peer challenge across hubs and networks
• insight loops: termly discussions with hub leads and network convenors, triangulated with NWADCS data
• alignment with national evidence: routine checks against DfE guidance and RISE frameworks
• shared accountability and responsibility: transparent publication of regional offers, take-up, and impact indicators

Feedback from schools, trusts, and partners will inform regional priorities and adaptations to the architecture over time.

5. Transition plan

Steps to move from the current to future architecture:

1. Now to Summer 2026: map hub offers and coverage, confirm hub network sponsorships, publish a single regional delivery calendar, and continue expanding attendance and behaviour hub offers. This will also include establishing the regional steering group to coordinate alignment across partners.
2. Spring 2026: connect key stage 2 networks with the key stage 3 Alliance, review equitable reach, and adjust support as needed.
3. Autumn 2026: embed reception and key stage 2 networking strands.

Addressing gaps: use NWADCS forums, in close coordination with the Education and Inclusion Sub Committee, to convene networks in under-served phases or geographic areas.

Strengthening system enablers: standardise communications across hubs and networks by developing and curating a collective North West directory of support, fostering greater consistency in effective practice, shared responsibility and collaborative improvement.

6. Governance and operational delivery

Governance

A North West RISE regional delivery partnership will be established, bringing together representation from, for example, local authorities, dioceses, trusts, hubs, network leads, and RISE advisers. The group will provide strategic oversight, alignment, and direction across the region, driving progress and ensuring activity is well coordinated, transparent, and connected to wider regional priorities.

Insight and impact

Evidence drawn from local authorities, dioceses, trusts, hubs, network leads and RISE advisers will help the steering group identify emerging issues, guide priorities and support a responsive, well-informed approach.

Advisory and engagement role

The RISE regional delivery partnership will assume an advisory role, offering strategic guidance on regional initiatives, supporting collaborative approaches, and ensuring that national priorities are interpreted effectively for the North West. Members, including representatives from local authorities, trusts, and RISE advisers will engage local stakeholders, share practice, and promote data driven improvement across education, inclusion, and SEND.

Regional connectivity

Regional teams will work closely with the RISE regional delivery partnership to ensure all elements of the delivery architecture remain connected. They will maintain strategic oversight, support collective delivery, enable escalation and resolution of issues, and ensure alignment with both national priorities and regional needs.

Operational delivery

• DfE programme lead: oversees day-to-day coordination and maintains the regional risk log
• Hub leads: accountable for programme delivery, adherence to quality standards, and reporting progress through termly discussions
• Network convenors: identify emerging needs, broker peer support, and provide feedback from schools to inform regional priorities

Partner engagement

Open invitation for schools, trusts, and sector leaders to contribute to future networks via RISE North West communications, ensuring broad engagement and input into ongoing system development.

7. Named North West networks and forums

• NWADCS network: 24 local authority collaboration for education or SEND insight and engagement.
• Education and inclusion sub‑committee of NWADCS: leads regional collaboration to improve education, inclusion and SEND through shared practice and data informed approaches.
• Greater Manchester Learning Partnership (GMLP): 10 local authority sector-led forum.
• Teaching school hubs: Bright Futures; Cheshire (St Joseph’s), East Manchester, Embrace, Generate, Inspire Learning, One Cumbria, Rainbow and STAR.
• Research Schools: Alexandra Park Research School, Blackpool Research School, Lancashire Research School, Manchester Communication Research School and Pinnacle Learning Research School.
• Hub ecosystems: maths (6 hubs), English (5 hubs), music (5 partnerships) and attendance and behaviour (11 hubs).
• Reception network lead schools: All Souls CofE Primary School (Rochdale), Rimrose Hope CofE Primary School (Sefton), Evelyn Street Primary Academy (Warrington), St Thomas’s CofE Primary School (Westmorland and Furness) and Hayton CofE Primary School (Cumberland).
• Key stage 2 attainment network lead school: Rainbow Education Multi Academy Trust.

Email us at: northwest.riseregionalmailbox@education.gov.uk

Case study: a collaborative approach to improving school attendance in Greater Manchester

In Greater Manchester, a collaborative effort involving local authorities, education trusts, health partners, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has led to measurable improvements in school attendance.

Rather than relying on formal partnerships, this approach focused on shared learning, mutual support, and collective action across the sub-region.

The challenge

The region faced persistent attendance issues:

• overall attendance below the national average
• persistent low-level absence, high Friday absence, and term-time holidays
• declining attendance during transition years (year 6 to year 7)
• complex barriers including SEND needs, family factors, and emotionally based school avoidance
• higher absence among year 9 girls, children in need, and young carers

The collaborative model

To unify regional efforts, system leaders established the Greater Manchester Local Attendance Action Alliance (GM LAAA), bringing together:

• Children’s Commissioner’s Office
• local authority directors of education
• trust and school leaders
• health representatives
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Operating on voluntary collaboration and shared responsibility, the Alliance provided a space for leaders to share challenges, test new approaches, and learn from each other.

Key initiatives

• supporting year 6 to year 7 transition
• transition attendance was prioritised, with projections indicating over 1.25 million additional school days if year 6 attendance levels were maintained.

Actions included:

• using a regression analysis model and ‘absence predictor’ tool to identify at-risk pupils
• establishing school action research groups to share best practice
• issuing a standardised transition letter adopted regionally
• launching a Greater Manchester Attendance Charter to standardise processes

Research on severe absence

The Alliance commissioned analysis across all 10 local authorities to explore the drivers of severe absence, including:

• SEND
• health and family factors
• local system barriers

Findings were shared in multi-agency workshops with education, health, SEND, and social care leaders. This collaborative approach generated region-wide recommendations to guide future GM LAAA activity.

Impact

The collaborative approach has already shown measurable results. Year 7 attendance improved across all 10 local authorities in 2024 to 2025, resulting in approximately 41,000 additional sessions attended in the early autumn term. Transition focused initiatives contributed to the national rollout of year 6 attendance data sharing, and best practices from GM LAAA have informed North West–wide training, extending the impact of the work beyond the Greater Manchester region.

Reflections

The GM LAAA demonstrates the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change. By fostering trust, shared learning, and collective problem-solving, the Alliance has not only improved attendance but also strengthened professional networks and regional capacity. The success of this model shows that with continued collaboration, Greater Manchester is well placed to build on these gains, tackle remaining challenges, and create lasting improvements in school attendance for all pupils.