Guidance

RISE: North West

Published 19 September 2025

Applies to England

Regional Director’s welcome

The Regional Director for the North West is Vicky Beer.

The regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme forms a key part of the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) aim to support school improvement across the country. Through a network of expert hubs, regional networks and advisers, RISE provides all schools, regardless of context, with access to high-quality support and evidence-informed resources that help address common challenges and drive sustained improvement. RISE aims to ensure every school can find the right help, at the right time, to best support its pupils.

In the North West, our regional priorities are aligned to complement this universal offer and reflect the specific needs of our schools and communities. Together with our RISE advisers, I look forward to working across the region on our shared priorities, including:

• enhancing the quality of reception year by focusing on improving oracy, reading and writing fluency at key stage 2
• improving maths outcomes at key stage 4
• enhancing pupil transition into secondary from key stage 2 to 3
• earlier, more accurate identification of special educational needs in mainstream settings, with the right support in place

I hope the resources on this page support you in your improvement journey, as we collectively strive to raise standards and improve outcomes for all children and young people in our region.

RISE advisers

The RISE advisers for the North West region are:

• Nic Brindle – Chief Executive, Youth Engagement Schools Trust

• Emlyn Wright – Service Lead Standards and Learning, Wigan Council 

• Melissa Young – Director of Education, Warrington Primary Academy Trust 

• Angela Holdsworth MBE – Chief Executive, The Sea View Trust

• Karen Bramwell OBE – Chief Executive, Forward as One Church of England Multi Academy Trust

• Martin Vevers – Executive Head Secondary, Laurus Trust

• James Inman – Headteacher, University Collegiate School, Quest (A Church of England schools 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

Abacus NW Maths Hub
Areas: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Lancashire districts (other than Lancaster, Ribble Valley and Wyre)
hello@abacusnwmathshub.co.uk

Cheshire and Wirral Maths Hub 
Areas: Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Wirral
mathshub@ourladyofpity.co.uk

North North West Maths Hub 
Areas: Cumberland, Lancashire Districts (Lancaster, Ribble Valley, Wyre), Westmorland and Furness
hello@nnwmathshub.org.uk 

North West One Maths Hub 
Areas: Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport
adminnw1mathshub@bright-futures.co.uk

North West Three Maths Hub 
Areas: Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wigan
sarah.mcilroy@three-saints.org.uk

Turing NW Maths Hub 
Areas: Bolton, Derbyshire district (High Peak), Salford, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington
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.

Arch English Hub 
Areas: Bury, Burnley, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Rossendale

Childer Thornton English Hub
Areas: Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Liverpool, Warrington, Wirral

Lacey Green English Hub 
Areas: Bury, Cheshire East, Oldham, Salford, St Helens, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford

Orgill English Hub 
Areas: Allerdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn with Darwen, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden, Hyndburn, Lancaster and Fleetwood, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, South Lakeland, Wyre

St John Vianney English Hub
Areas: Blackpool, Bolton, Chorley, Fylde, Knowsley, Sefton, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Wigan

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.

Bright Futures Teaching School Hubs
Areas: Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Trafford
tsh@bright-futures.co.uk

Cheshire Teaching School Hub (St Joseph’s)
Areas: Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester
TSA@stjosephsmail.com

East Manchester Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Oldham, Tameside
info@eastmanchesterteachinghub.com

Embrace Teaching School Hub
Areas: Chorley, Fylde, South Ribble, West Lancashire
tsh@embrace-education.co.uk

Generate Teaching Hub
Areas: Halton, Warrington, Wigan
hub@wpat.uk

Inspire Learning Teaching School Hub NW
Areas: Liverpool, Wirral
enquiries@inspirelearningtsh.co.uk 

One Cumbria Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness
beddoet@onecumbria.education 

Rainbow Teaching School Hub
Areas: Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens
rainbowhub@remat.org.uk 

STAR Teaching School Hubs
Areas: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley, Bury, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, Rochdale, Rossendale, Wyre
info@starteachingschoolhubs.org 

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.

Bolton Music Service (Bolton MBC)
Areas: Blackburn with Darwen, and Greater Manchester
music.service@bolton.gov.uk

Lancashire Music Service (Lancashire County Council)
Areas: Lancashire
lancs.music@lancashire.gov.uk

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Areas: Halton, Merseyside and Warrington
sarah.lovell@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk

Love Music Trust
Areas: Cheshire and Wirral
info@lovemusictrust.com

Westmorland and Furness Council: Music Hub (Westmorland and Furness Council)
Areas: Cumbria
musicService@WestmorlandandFurness.gov.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.

Greater Manchester Learning Partnership
Areas: 10 Greater Manchester local authorities