Guidance

RISE: South East

Published 19 September 2025

Applies to England

Regional Director’s welcome

The Regional Director for the South East is Dame Kate Dethridge.

As Regional Director for the South East at the Department for Education, I am thrilled to introduce you to our RISE programme, designed to support and inspire school improvement across our region.

The RISE programme has a bold ambition: to break the link between a child’s background and their future success. Through RISE, we are working together, helping schools access high-quality support that drives meaningful change and helps ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Together with our RISE advisers, we are focusing on: 

• boosting reception year outcomes, especially in coastal communities 
• raising attainment for disadvantaged pupils across all phases 
• improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disability (SEND)
• fostering inclusive mainstream schools that set high expectations for every learner 

As experienced leaders in the school system, the RISE advisers and I understand the immense privilege and complex challenges of leading schools. We know that no single school can tackle these challenges alone, which is why collaboration is at the heart of RISE. The school system in the South East has many strengths and, by working together across our region, we can share expertise, build collective capacity, and strengthen the support available to every school, ensuring that all children receive the high-quality education they deserve. 

The resources on this page will support your school’s improvement journey. Please consider how your school might take advantage of RISE resources to support your improvement plans.  

We look forward to working with you to create lasting, positive change for children and young people across the South East.

RISE advisers

The RISE advisers for the South East region are:

• Jamie Clarke – Chief Executive, Tove Learning Trust

• Tim Mills – former Executive Director of Primary, STEP Academy Trust

• Claire Lowe – Chief Executive, Inspire Learning Partnership

• Pan Panayiotou – Chief Executive, South Downs Education Trust

• Emma Bradshaw – Chief Executive, Alternative Learning Trust

• Lee Mason-Ellis – Chief Executive, The Pioneer Academy

• Maria Dawes – Strategic Adviser, Schools Alliance for Excellence

• Catherine Morley – Headteacher, Theale Church of England Primary School, and Director of Education, Thames Learning Trust, Berkshire

• Kate Paretti – School Improvement Adviser, West Berkshire Local Authority

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

Bucks, Berks and Oxon Maths Hub 
Areas: Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury Vale District is shared with Enigma), Oxfordshire, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead
info@bbomathshub.org.uk

Enigma Maths Hub 
Areas: Bedford, Buckinghamshire District (Aylesbury Vale is shared with Bucks, Berks and Oxon Maths Hub), Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes and West Northamptonshire
enigmamathshub@denbigh.net

Kent and Medway Maths Hub 
Areas: Kent and Medway
info@kandmmathshub.org.uk

Mobius Maths Hub 
Areas: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Swindon, West Berkshire, Wiltshire and Wokingham
info@mobiusmathshub.org.uk

North-East Hants and Surrey Maths Hub 
Areas: Hampshire Districts (Basingstoke and Deane, Hart and Rushmoor) and Surrey
mathshubteam@nehsmathshub.org.uk

Solent Maths Hub
Areas: Hampshire districts (East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest, Test Valley, Winchester), Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton
info@solentmathshub.org.uk

Sussex Maths Hub 
Areas: Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex
hello@sussexmathshub.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.

Kingsnorth Hub
Areas: Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Eastbourne, Folkestone and Hythe, Gravesham, Hastings, Maidstone, Medway, Rother, Sevenoaks, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells, Tandridge, Wealden 

Springhill Hub
Areas: Adur, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Hart, Havant, Horsham, Isle of Wight, Lewes, New Forest, Portsmouth, Southampton, Test Valley, Wealden, Winchester, Worthing

Whiteknights Hub
Areas: Bracknell Forest, Cherwell, Crawley, Basingstoke and Deane, Buckinghamshire, Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford, Milton Keynes, Mole Valley, Oxford, Reading, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, Rushmoor, Slough, South Oxfordshire, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Vale of White Horse, Waverley, West Berkshire, West Oxfordshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Woking, Wokingham

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.

Astra Teaching School Hub, Buckinghamshire 
Areas: Buckinghamshire
hello@astra-alliance.com

GLF West Sussex Teaching School Hub 
Areas: Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Worthing
tsh@glfschools.org 

HISP Teaching School Hub 
Areas: Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Isle of Wight, New Forest, Portsmouth, Southampton, Test Valley, Winchester
info@hisptsh.org 

Kent Teaching School hub  
Areas: Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells,
info@ktsh.org.uk

Oxfordshire Teaching School Hub 
Areas: Cherwell, Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, West Oxfordshire
info@otsh.org.uk 

STEP Ahead Teaching School Hub  
Areas: Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother, Wealden
stepaheadtsh@stepacademytrust.org 

Success for Every Teacher Teaching School Hub 
Areas: Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Guildford, Hart, Rushmoor, Waverley
tshub@sfet.org.uk 

Teaching School Hub Berkshire 
Areas: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham
tshberkshire@lgs.slough.sch.uk 

Thames Gateway Teaching School Hub 
Areas: Dartford, Gravesham, Medway
enquiries@TGTSH.org.uk

Xavier Teaching School Hub 
Areas: Elmbridge, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Woking
teachingschoolhub@xaviercet.org.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.

Berkshire Music Trust (The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust Ltd)
Areas: Berkshire
contact@berksmusictrust.org.uk

Brighton Dome and Festival Limited
Areas: Sussex
hello@createmusic.org.uk

Buckinghamshire Music Trust
Areas: Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
musicservice@bucksmusic.org

Hampshire Music Service (Hampshire County Council)
Areas: Hampshire
music.service@hants.gov.uk

Inspiring Music Education Hub (Central Bedfordshire Council)
Areas: Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
inspiring.music@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Kent Music
Areas: Kent and Medway
hello@kent-music.com

Southampton Music Hub  
Areas: Southampton 
music@siowmusic.org

Surrey Arts (Surrey County Council)
Areas: Surrey
surreymusichub@surreycc.gov.uk