Guidance

RISE: East Midlands

Published 19 September 2025

Applies to England

Regional Director’s welcome

The Regional Director for the East Midlands is Carol Gray.

The East Midlands is a region of contrasts and character, from the cities of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby to the rural and coastal communities of Lincolnshire. Our schools sit at the heart of these communities and have a key role in contributing to this government’s ambition to break the link between a child’s background and their future success.  

As trust and school leaders, you know the power of collaboration and how sharing best practice and learning from each other can have an impact on outcomes for children and young people.

Regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) resources are designed to help you connect with the networks, hubs and partnerships that can support your work. Whether you’re looking to share practice, continue your improvement journey or build new relationships, we hope these provide a useful starting point.

Our RISE advisers and I look forward to working with you to address the challenges we face across the region:

• tackling attainment gaps, especially for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• increasing the number of children reaching a good level of development by the end of reception
• continuing the focus on secondary attendance, particularly at key stage 3

By working together, learning from each other and keeping children at the centre, we can improve outcomes for children and young people in all key stages across the East Midlands.

RISE advisers

The RISE advisers for the East Midlands are:

• Paul Heery – former Chief Executive, White Hills Park Trust 

• Sian Hampton – former Chief Executive, Archway Learning Trust 

• Emily Walker – Director of LEARN SEND Hub, part of Community Inclusive Trust 

• Amanda Griffiths – Teaching School Hub Director, L.E.A.D Academy Trust 

• Chris Wheatley – Chief Executive, Flying High Trust 

• Kath Kelly – Chief Executive, Lionheart Education Trust

Hubs

Maths hubs

There are 40 national maths hubs in England. Each hub is a partnership of schools, colleges, multi-academy trusts and other organisations. Hubs provide a range of:

• subject and pedagogical knowledge
• wider professional and school development opportunities for teachers, leaders and teaching assistants, from reception to A level

This consists of: 

• work groups (particularly supporting implementation of teaching for mastery pedagogy)  
• specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics (SKTM) programmes  
• professional learning communities for leaders   
• development programmes for local leaders of mathematics education (LLME)
• targeted, bespoke, intensive support for schools in need of greater assistance to help them benefit from universal support

East Midlands East Maths Hub 
Areas: Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire districts (Mansfield; Newark and Sherwood; Bassetlaw; Gedling; Rushcliffe)
enquiries@ememathshub.org 

East Midlands South Maths Hub 
Areas: Leicester, Leicestershire, North Northamptonshire, Rutland
admin@emsmathshub.org.uk

East Midlands West Maths Hub 
Areas: Derby, Derbyshire districts (other than High Peak), Nottingham, Nottinghamshire districts (Ashfield and Broxtowe)
mathshub@georgespencer.org.uk

Enigma Maths Hub 
Areas: West Northamptonshire
enigmamathshub@denbigh.net 

Turing NW Maths Hub 
Areas: Derbyshire district (High Peak)
enquiries@mathshubsturingnw.co.uk 

English hubs

English hubs offer a range of support and continuing professional development (CPD) to primary schools to improve the teaching of early reading, with a particular focus on:

• systematic synthetic phonics
• early language
• reading for pleasure

This consists of tailored support from a literacy specialist, CPD and funding to buy phonics and early language resources. 

English hubs are also running a secondary pilot that builds on the existing offer by helping secondary schools:

• embed reading as a whole-school priority
• improve outcomes for pupils with reading needs
• strengthen professional knowledge around effective reading support

There are 34 English hubs in England.

Flying High English Hub
Areas: Amber Valley, Ashfield, Bolsover, Broxtowe, Chesterfield, Derby City, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, Gedling, High Peak, North East Derbyshire, Nottingham, Mansfield, Rushcliffe, South Derbyshire

Learners First English Hub
Areas: Bassetlaw, Doncaster, Derby, Rotherham, South Derbyshire

Roade English Hub
Areas: Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicester, Luton, Melton, North Northamptonshire, North West Leicestershire, Oadby and Wigston, Rutland, West Northamptonshire

St Wilfrid’s English Hub
Areas: Bolsover, Rotherham, Chesterfield, Kirklees, High Peak, Sheffield

Witham St Hughes English Hub
Areas: Bassetlaw, Boston, East Lindsey, Newark and Sherwood, Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, South Holland, South Kesteven

Teaching school hubs

Teaching school hubs are centres of excellence led by schools and multi-academy trusts. 

They offer teacher training and professional development for teachers and leaders at all stages of their career.  

They play a significant role in the delivery of: 

• school-based initial teacher training (ITT) 
• national professional qualifications (NPQs) 
• the early career teacher entitlement (ECTE)  
• appropriate body services for the induction of early career teachers 

Teaching school hubs are the main provider of appropriate body services.

L.E.A.D. Teaching School Hub Lincolnshire   
Areas: Boston, Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Holland, South Kesteven, East Lindsey, West Lindsey
admin@leadtshub.co.uk 

Leicester and Leicestershire Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Blaby, Harborough, Leicester, Oadby and Wigston
TSHub@LeLTSH-tmet.uk 

Leicestershire and Rutland Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Charnwood, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire, Rutland
contact@Lrtshub.org.uk 

Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub  
Areas: North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire
hello@northantstshub.org

Potentia Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North East Derbyshire
info@potentiatsh.co.uk 

Redhill Teaching Hub  
Areas: Bassetlaw, Gedling, Newark and Sherwood 
enquiries@redhillhub.org.uk 

Spencer Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Derby, Erewash, South Derbyshire
info@spencerteachingschoolhub.org.uk 

Teaching School Hub | Flying High Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Ashfield, Broxtowe, Mansfield, Nottingham, Rushcliffe
futures@flyinghightrust.co.uk 

Music hubs

Music hub partnerships are made up of a range of organisations that work together to deliver high-quality music provision for all children and young people in and out of school. The hub programme funds a network of 43 hub partnerships that cover every area of England.

Derby and Derbyshire Music Partnership (Derbyshire County Council)
Areas: Derby and Derbyshire
music.partnership@derbyshire.gov.uk

Leicestershire Schools Music Service (Leicestershire County Council)
Areas: Leicester and Leicestershire
music@leics.gov.uk

Lincolnshire Music Service (Lincolnshire County Council)
Areas: Lincolnshire
musicservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust
Areas: North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire and Rutland
office@NMPAT.co.uk

Nottinghamshire Music Hub (Culture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands)
Areas: Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
ask@inspireculture.org.uk

Sector-led networks

Contact your regional director’s office if you are interested in working with us to develop or contribute to future networks.

Inspiring Leaders
Areas: Regional