Guidance

RISE: West Midlands regional plan summary

Updated 3 July 2026

Applies to England

Summary    

This publication is a concise edition of the West Midlands RISE regional plan from the Department for Education, setting out how RISE will be delivered locally to improve outcomes for all children and young people.

It translates the RISE national priorities into a clear local approach, builds on existing strengths, and aligns with wider local strategies.

The plan:

• supports collaboration across schools, trusts, local authorities and wider partners
• aims to strengthen relationships with the wider system
• provides a practical framework for improving practice, building capacity and sharing learning

Delivering RISE depends on collective effort, with all partners focusing on what matters most, using evidence well and contributing to a more connected, confident and resilient system.

It highlights the core priorities, key information and useful links from the full plan to support understanding and implementation across the education sector.

Regional focus in the West Midlands

The West Midlands is a diverse and ambitious region with strong practice, committed leaders and well‑established school improvement infrastructure. Yet persistent gaps remain, especially for disadvantaged pupils, white British pupils, and children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); attendance has not fully recovered in some areas, and too many children begin reception without strong foundations.

Through RISE, the region will mobilise expertise, strengthen inclusive practice, raise the quality of early years provision, and use data and innovation, including artificial intelligence (AI), to focus support where it has the biggest impact. This plan sets out collective action to ensure every child can thrive.

• Reception-year quality: enhancing early years outcomes across the West Midlands involves accelerating progress and increasing the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development (GLD) by the end of reception.
• Inclusive mainstream: inclusion bases, teacher training and sharing of best practice.
• Attendance: key stage 2 to key stage 3 transition, white working-class, and pupils with special educational needs (SEN).
• Attainment, with a focus on English and maths: disadvantaged pupil outcomes, key stage 2 outcomes in reading, writing and maths. High and rising standards in key stage 3 which culminate in improved attainment at key stage 4.

What RISE will deliver in the West Midlands

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

Reception-year quality

RISE support for reception improvement.

• Strengthening early years practice and professional learning, through new reception networks and early years stronger practice hubs sharing excellent practice, hosting visits, offering continuing professional development (CPD), mapping support across the region, and improving collaborative working between schools, local authorities, dioceses and trusts.
• Improving data‑informed leadership, with tools such as Compare Your GLD Data enabling schools, trusts and local authorities to analyse GLD outcomes, identify strengths and areas for development, and use high‑quality evidence to guide conversations, strategy and professional development.
• Providing targeted support in early language, literacy and maths, including intensive English and maths hub programmes, Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), enhanced CPD on early writing and number, and expanded hub offers to ensure the schools most in need can access specialist, evidence‑based reception support.

Inclusive mainstream

RISE support for inclusive mainstream education.

• Workforce development and practice sharing, to promote the £200m SEND teacher training offer, strengthen peer‑to‑peer mechanisms and embed learning from early language support for every child (ELSEC), Partnership for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools (PINS) and ordinarily available inclusive provision (OAIP). Expanding regional communities of practice and collaboration with ADCS and local area partnerships.
• Growth of inclusion bases and to map current capacity with local authorities; support development where there are gaps; align expansion with SEND reforms and capital programmes. Engage with the national inclusion base network.
• Stronger Transitions and targeted work across key stage 2 to key stage 3 transitions, SEND transitions, and use of attendance analytics. Practice‑sharing events and collaborative communities of practice to refine transition processes.

Attendance

RISE support for improving attendance in schools.

• Attendance and behaviour hubs, continued universal and enhanced support, including termly open days and intensive coaching for selected schools.
• Data‑driven conversations, including attendance conversations with trusts and local authorities focusing on 5 to 15% absence band, SEN support, FSM pupils and transition years, with regular follow‑ups to monitor progress.
• Attendance conferences, with regional and national events focusing on transitions, analytics, and culture of belonging.
• Attendance and behaviour community of practice using a trust‑led network to test evidence‑based approaches and sharing tools, resources and contextual insight.

Attainment, with a focus on English and maths

RISE support for improving attainment in schools.

• Key stage 2 Networks, establishing region‑wide networks linked to maths and English hubs, and providing key stage 2 SATs preparation webinars and direct leaders to national resources (DfE Writing Framework, Oak National Academy).
• Key stage 3 and secondary networks, aligning with RISE key stage 3 Alliance (launching March 2026). Focus on curriculum quality, closing gaps and improving English/maths grade 5+ outcomes.
• Follow‑up attainment conversations and re-engage local authorities after 2026 outcomes to ensure clear, action‑focused local plans.
• Regional round tables with structured check‑ins for system leaders, reviewing progress and strengthening alignment with hub support.

Regional themes

Four cross-cutting themes underpin and support delivery.

• Strong leadership, supported through NPQs, teaching school hubs and RISE networks, will drive collaborative improvement across the region.
• Financial sustainability remains a priority, with support to strengthen resilience and make best use of national tools and advisory services.
• Deepening local partnerships will ensure more joined‑up support for children and families, especially in areas facing the greatest pressures.
• Schools will be supported to adopt AI and EdTech safely and effectively, reducing workload and enhancing support for vulnerable learners.

RISE universal school improvement architecture

The West Midlands will steward a coherent architecture that aligns hubs, networks, alliances and sector‑led groups to deliver RISE. This includes:

• diagnostic insight and clear communication with all schools.
• criteria‑based access to support, reducing duplication.
• 4 engagement levels (observe, influence, convene, commission).
• integration of teaching school hubs, stronger practice hubs, curriculum hubs, research schools, and RISE networks (reception, key stage 2, key stage 3).

A West Midlands RISE regional delivery partnership will be established bringing together representation from local authorities, dioceses, trusts, hubs, network leads, and RISE advisers.

The group will provide strategic oversight, alignment, and direction across the region. It will ensure that activity is well-coordinated, transparent, and connected to wider national and regional priorities with operational delivery through a core RISE regional team.