Guidance

RISE: Yorkshire and the Humber regional plan

Updated 3 July 2026

Applies to England

Plan purpose

The 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 Department for Education’s (DfE’s) 4 school improvement national priorities, it provides shared direction, coherence and a practical framework for strengthening practice, building capacity and supporting sustained improvement.

This regional plan aims to:

• Translate our national priorities into a local approach, setting out how we will undertake evidence-informed activity to improve 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 mainstream inclusion.
• 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 doing what matters most, doing it well, and doing it together – so every child and young person can thrive.

Foreword by Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Director

I am pleased to present the Yorkshire and the Humber RISE regional plan for 2026 – a shared commitment to raising standards, closing gaps, and ensuring every child in our region has the opportunity to achieve and thrive.

Yorkshire and the Humber is a region defined by its diversity, resilience, and ambition. From the coastal communities of East Riding and North Yorkshire to the urban centres of Leeds, Sheffield and Hull, and everywhere in between, schools serve communities with distinct cultural, economic, and educational profiles. This includes areas with strong academic outcomes, innovative teaching practices, and high levels of community and pupil engagement.

This plan recognises those local strengths, and seeks to harness them to provide a tailored, place-based approach to improvement.

This RISE regional plan is our vehicle for delivering DfE’s national priorities in a way that reflects the unique context of our region. Through this plan, we will focus on 4 key areas:

• enhancing reception year quality
• strengthening inclusive mainstream provision
• tackling persistent absence
• improving attainment in English and maths

These priorities are underpinned by a commitment to strong leadership, financial stability and, in delivering these priorities, a firm focus on supporting 15 strong local partnerships.

Our approach is rooted in collaboration. We have worked closely with local authorities, academy trusts, dioceses, and school leaders to shape this plan. Their insight and expertise have been invaluable, and their continued partnership will be essential to its success.

We know that the challenges are significant, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs (SEN). But we also know that across Yorkshire and the Humber, there are schools and leaders delivering exceptional outcomes in the most difficult circumstances. This plan seeks to build on that excellence, share what works, and ensure that every school has access to the support it needs.

I am confident that, together, we can make a lasting difference. The RISE programme is not just about intervention, it is about igniting ambition, equity, and opportunity. I look forward to working with you all to deliver on this vision.

Alison Wilson OBE

Regional Director, Yorkshire and the Humber

Meet the Yorkshire and the Humber RISE advisers

As RISE advisers for the Yorkshire and the Humber region, we are pleased to introduce ourselves and to reaffirm our shared commitment to supporting schools, leaders and partners across our communities.

Collectively, we bring extensive experience from school leadership, trust leadership, local authority services and system-wide improvement. We are united by a deep belief in the potential of every child and in the power of collective responsibility to strengthen education across the region.

Our role is to work alongside schools and partners to build capacity, strengthen practice and support sustainable improvement, aligned with the 4 national priorities. This includes providing a universal offer available to all schools, alongside more targeted support where additional capacity or expertise is needed.

This balanced approach ensures that support is both accessible and responsive, directing resource where it can have the greatest impact.

Central to our work is collaboration. We listen carefully to school leaders, engage openly with partners and draw on the best available evidence to inform our approach. Our focus is to support the effective delivery of the RISE programme in a way that reflects national ambition while remaining grounded in the context, strengths and needs of the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

We are:

• Jonathan Britton
• Martin Finch
• Narinder Gill
• Paul Haigh
• Janet Sheriff
• Maria Williams

Together, we are committed to working alongside schools and partners to support the successful implementation of the RISE programme and, most importantly, to help ensure that every child receives the education they deserve and the opportunity to thrive.

Get in touch by emailing: yorkshireandhumber.riseregionalmailbox@education.gov.uk.

Regional focus for Yorkshire and the Humber

We have engaged closely with partners across the Yorkshire and the Humber about the RISE national priorities for our region through engagement with local authorities, dioceses, trust leaders and hubs. In addition, data has been assessed to identify regional focus areas: Explore our statistics and data.

While some trends are evident across the Yorkshire and the Humber 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.

With respect to the national priorities, we will focus on:

Reception year quality

Strengthening early language and sharing best practice; focused support where it matters most; strengthening transition into reception and strengthening leadership and early years expertise.

Inclusive mainstream

Encouraging the growth of high-quality SEND provision, including new inclusion bases; supporting workforce development and strengthening inclusive practice while reducing the number of children and young people missing education.

Attendance

Promoting effective use of DfE data tools; strengthening secondary transition so that children establish strong attendance routines that support them all the way through their secondary schooling, supporting disadvantaged pupils and maximising the impact of Yorkshire and the Humber’s attendance and behaviour hubs.

Attainment

A focus on English and maths: improving outcomes for pupils facing the greatest barriers – thereby raising attainment for all pupils, bringing consistently good primary practice to all schools across the region and building momentum throughout key stage 3 to improve outcomes in key stage 4.

The pupil population across the region is increasingly diverse, with approximately 18% of pupils speaking English as an additional language (EAL) and around 33% identifying with minority ethnic groups, contributing to a rich cultural and linguistic mix in schools.

The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average, and this figure varies significantly between local areas: Kingston Upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire and Sheffield have particularly high levels of disadvantage across both primary and secondary phases. 

Roughly 15% of pupils have SEND, and within this figure, we know there is a range of different needs which schools will need to support. These characteristics vary across the region, with some areas experiencing higher socio‑economic disadvantage, and rural localities facing distinct challenges such as lower population density and greater distances to services.

Together, these characteristics create an educational landscape in Yorkshire and the Humber marked by diversity and distinct local contexts. Schools and local partners throughout the region work collaboratively to respond to these differing circumstances, ensuring that children and young people have access to high-quality education and the opportunity to thrive.

The region’s story is one of shared commitment, adaptability, and ambition, with educators, families, and communities aspiring to work together to support positive outcomes for every learner, quality education and the opportunity to thrive.

Reception year quality

RISE support for reception improvement.

Overview

The government’s Plan for Change and Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life both set out the national ambition for 75% of children to reach a good level of development (GLD) by summer 2028.

Alongside this national ambition, every local authority has been set a specific target to increase the proportion of children achieving GLD by 2028.

All our local authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber will publish Best Start Local Plans, setting out a bold vision for improving early childhood outcomes across the full early years system. These plans can only successfully be delivered in local partnerships and extend beyond schools and Reception to include early education providers, family services and wider community partnerships.

The activities set out in this Yorkshire and the Humber RISE regional plan will complement and strengthen these local ambitions. By supporting schools, trusts and local partners to improve reception practice and leadership, this regional work will contribute directly to the delivery of Best Start Local Plans and the achievement of local GLD targets.

Regional focus for Yorkshire and the Humber on reception year quality

We have a lot to do. Yorkshire and the Humber currently has the second lowest GLD nationally (66.2% in 2024 to 2025), 2.6 percentage points below the national average, with the slowest rate of improvement since 2021 to 2022. Approximately 20,000 children across the region did not achieve GLD last year.

Outcomes vary significantly across the region and between pupil groups. Disadvantaged pupils, children with SEND and some EAL learners experience persistently lower outcomes, particularly in areas such as Bradford, Rotherham, Sheffield and parts of North Yorkshire.

Improving reception is therefore not a discrete early years priority; it is a whole-school improvement lever.

Our improvement logic is clear:

• strengthening early language and communication as the foundation for literacy
• improving writing through secure phonics, oral language and purposeful composition
• embedding inclusive practice and earlier identification of need
• building leadership expertise and stronger transitions

Together, these improvements will enable more children, particularly those facing disadvantage, to achieve GLD and sustain progress into key stage 1 and beyond.

At its heart, this work is about ensuring children secure strong foundations that prevent gaps widening later in the education system.

Analysis of regional data highlights 4 interconnected priorities; early language development, writing outcomes, inclusive provision for SEND and vulnerable groups, and stronger transition into and beyond reception.

Weak writing outcomes across the region (only 69% of children in the region met the writing assessment in 2024 to 2025) are closely linked to oral language development and phonics consistency. In areas with lower outcomes for children with EAL and SEND, language-rich provision and earlier identification are particularly important.

Proposed strategies to address reception year quality in Yorkshire and the Humber region

Activity 1: strengthen early language and share best practice

We will strengthen the quality and consistency of early language provision across the region, recognising it as one of the most significant drivers of improved GLD.

This will include promoting and scaling effective implementation of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), particularly in local authorities with lower uptake.

We will share evidence-informed practice through:

• reception networks
• stronger practice hubs
• English and maths Hubs
• diocesan networks
• 15 local authority-based local partnerships

We will also showcase schools where strong outcomes for disadvantaged, EAL and SEND pupils demonstrate what high-quality inclusive provision looks like in practice in the early years.

Reception networks will bring schools together through open days, collaborative development groups and peer learning opportunities. This approach will ensure that effective practice is shared across the region rather than remaining isolated within individual schools or local authorities.

Schools will also be encouraged to use Compare Your GLD reports diagnostically to identify strengths, refine practice and learn from schools serving similar communities with stronger outcomes.

Activity 2: focused support where it matters most

Focused support on areas and pupil groups with the greatest distance to travel, including free school meal pupils in Rotherham, Calderdale, North Yorkshire, Leeds and Sheffield where GLD outcomes are in the bottom quartile nationally, EAL pupils in Sheffield and Bradford where outcomes are in the bottom 15% nationally, and SEND pupils in Bradford, Kirklees and North Yorkshire where GLD outcomes are also in the bottom 15% of local authorities.

Data-informed conversations with responsible bodies about the national priorities will explore barriers to progress and align support from:

• reception networks
• stronger practice hubs
• English hubs
• maths hubs
• continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, for example national professional qualification (NPQ) for early years leadership and reception teacher courses

This support will focus on strengthening implementation of systematic synthetic phonics programmes, and improving alignment between oral language development, phonics and early writing.

We will support earlier and more confident identification of SEND within high-quality provision. Learning will also be shared from high engagement areas with strong NELI uptake. The emphasis will be on building sustainable capacity within schools, rather than short-term intervention.

Activity 3: strengthen transition into reception

Transition is a critical point in children’s early education, particularly for those experiencing disadvantage.

We will promote stronger transition practices by improving information sharing between early years providers and schools and encouraging relational approaches that engage families early. We will also support earlier identification of speech, language and developmental need, alongside strengthening continuity between reception pedagogy and expectations.

As the expansion of school-based nursery provision continues, schools will have greater opportunities to build strong foundations before children enter reception and we will work to target provision in the areas that need it most.

Partnership working between nurseries, schools and Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs will support smoother transitions into reception and ensure children maintain progress as they move into KS1.

Activity 4: strengthen leadership and EYFS expertise

High-quality reception provision depends on strong leadership and expertise.

Across the region we will raise the profile of reception within whole school improvement planning. We will promote engagement with NPQ in Early Years Leadership and strengthened NPQ for Headship early years content. We will also provide opportunities for reception leaders and senior leaders to observe and learn from strong practice through the new reception network lead schools and develop regional case studies showcasing effective provision in areas of disadvantage.

This work will support leaders to understand what high-quality reception provision looks like and how to sustain it within their own contexts.

Reception leadership will be positioned as a key driver of improvement across attainment, inclusion and attendance outcomes over time.

Inclusive Mainstream

RISE support for inclusive mainstream education.

Overview

We want every child in Yorkshire and the Humber to have high-quality, inclusive education in their community and to enable children in our region that have barriers to learning to achieve and thrive. We have a lot to do in this area.

Too many children are withdrawn and not engaged in their education in our region. The rate of suspension represents a particular challenge in Yorkshire and the Humber. The rate of suspension for pupils with SEN support is one of the highest in the country at 41.1 (against a national average of 29.4), whilst the rate of suspension for pupils with EHCPs (30.1) and those without an identified need (11.6) are also well above the national average.

The rate of permanent exclusion is in line with the national level. The region also faces severe absence challenges with 2.7% of children classed as severely absent in 2023 to 2024, compared with 2.3% nationally, with significant variation within the region. 

The percentage of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) has increased in every local authority in the region in the last 3 years. Whilst this remains under the national average overall, there are some areas which have a higher proportion of plans compared to the national average of 3.5%: Calderdale (4.8%); East Riding of Yorkshire (4.2%); Kingston Upon Hull (4.0%).

Yorkshire and the Humber have an above average percentage of pupils accessing free school meals, with 26.4% pupils eligible in primary and 28.6% eligible in secondary.

Within the region there are local authorities with a particularly high eligibility: Bradford; Kingston Upon Hull; North East Lincolnshire; and Sheffield. Whilst EAL rates are below average overall, there are some local authorities which are above average: Bradford; Kirklees; Leeds; Sheffield.

Regional focus for Yorkshire and the Humber region on inclusive mainstream

Regional data and our engagement with the sector demonstrate increasing levels of SEND need, both for children and young people requiring EHCPs and those requiring SEND support without a plan.

It is a priority to strengthen mainstream inclusion whilst ensuring that specialist places remain available for those with the most complex needs. To meet this growing need for places, and in line with the commitments in Every child achieving and thriving, we will enable the development of high-quality inclusion bases in mainstream schools.

We will work with local authorities to ensure these are delivered as part of a clear SEND sufficiency strategy and as part of their SEND reform plans; and foster networks which enable the sharing of best practice and outreach to help schools make effective use of the additional national funding for SEND related training in mainstream settings.

Proposed strategies to address inclusive mainstream in Yorkshire and the Humber region

Activity 1 – encourage the growth of high-quality SEND provision, including new inclusion bases

We will collaborate with local authorities and existing provision to ensure new SEND provision is consistent with local area SEND strategies and meets local need. Mainstream schools will be supported to establish inclusion bases, enabling more children and young people with SEND to access appropriate support in their locality, and reducing the reliance on out-of-area and independent provision.

We will ensure the learning from existing good practice is shared through local partnerships and regional networks, and support schools and trusts which seek to grow and develop this area of expertise.

Where it is our role to decide, we will ensure the proposals are consistent with the ambitions in Every Child Achieving and Thriving and will work with RISE advisers to ensure the proposals are high-quality.

The 15 strong local partnerships in every local authority in Yorkshire and the Humber will ensure that there is rapid work towards the aim of developing the right high-quality SEND provision and new inclusion bases.

Activity 2 – support workforce development and strengthen inclusive practice

We will build workforce capability and confidence in inclusive practice by promoting the uptake of the national £200m SEND teacher training offer when it becomes available from September 2026.

We will use the learning from the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Change Programme; Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS); Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) and the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APST) to ensure that the delivery of this work is evidence-based.

We will work with RISE advisers; the Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance (RIIA); and local partnerships to share the evidence identified by these programmes and share strong examples of inclusive practice which schools can adapt to their own context.

We will ensure that learning from the funded adaptive teaching programme is embedded across the region via the stewardship of a cross cutting regional network to share evidence-informed classroom best practice that dovetails with the work of the RIIA.

Activity 3 – Reduce the number of children and young people missing education

We want to ensure that there is a suitable school place for every child, with need primarily met in mainstream provision where possible. We will work with the sector to strengthen primary to secondary transition for pupils.

Where children and young people with SEND are successfully supported in primary school, we will utilise the work in activities 1 and 2 to ensure that need can continue to be met within mainstream provision following their transition to secondary.

Working with RISE advisers, the RIIA and local partnerships, we will highlight strong practice in this area. We will work closely with attendance and behaviour hubs to focus support for schools with high levels of persistent absence, suspensions and exclusions, and will encourage collaboration and the sharing of best practice between the 15 strong local authority-based local partnerships.

Attendance

RISE support for improving attendance in schools.

Overview

Attendance is an ongoing challenge across Yorkshire and the Humber and has been exacerbated by the long-term impact of the pandemic. The disruptive nature of this period has left a legacy and fundamentally changed the attendance picture ever since. The data shows that, on average, children in our region are missing slightly more school than their peers across the country.

Whilst rates are trending in the right direction, the gap between children in this region and elsewhere persists. The challenge is further exacerbated at secondary, where absence increases gradually year on year as pupils move through school to Year 11.

Our issues are widespread - only 2 of our fifteen local authorities buck the trends across primary and secondary. The region broadly follows the patterns of the national picture in terms of variance between demographic groups, but the rates are higher across each category.

Regional focus for Yorkshire and the Humber on attendance

The headline data show that attendance continues to be a key area for focus and concern across Yorkshire and the Humber, where absence is widespread rather than concentrated among a particular demography or geography.

It increases the further pupils get through their education. Generally, attendance challenges are felt across both our primary and secondary schools, with higher-than-average rates at both for overall and persistent absence.

The rate of overall absence for our primary pupils sits at 5.3% compared to 5.2% nationally, whilst secondary rates are 9.1% compared to 8.4% nationally. For persistent absence, the primary rate is 13.5% compared to 13% nationally and secondary is 25.3% compared to 23.4% nationally.

The data shows that there is a sharp increase in absence that occurs at the transition stage as pupils move from primary to secondary school. At this point, we see absence rates rising between year 6 and year 7, and this pattern continues throughout the secondary education picture, peaking at key stage 4.

Identifying ways to reverse the attendance slump that exists in early secondary school is a priority area, before it becomes entrenched behaviour later into a child’s education.

We also see an impact of pupil characteristics in the data, with disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs far more likely to miss substantial periods of time in school, and more than twice as likely to be suspended or permanently excluded.

The variance broadly follows national patterns, the start and end points are at far higher levels and demonstrate the challenge we have engaging and effectively supporting vulnerable pupils across the region into school.

Proposed strategies to address attendance in Yorkshire and the Humber region

Activity 1: promoting DfE data tool take-up and capability to sharpen school-level strategy

Schools and trusts in Yorkshire and the Humber will be supported and empowered to make full use of DfE data tools, such as the View your education data platform and similar school reports, including regard to schools’ Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectations (ABIEs) – which set out expected improvements for schools.

Embedding full use of DfE data tools will enable the utilisation of banding data to direct resource to maximum effect, for instance targeting pupils missing 5% to 15% of school, to help shift attendance norms and prevent pupils sliding into persistent or severe absence.

We will work to convene a Yorkshire and the Humber regional attendance data network to support schools and trusts in accessing, understanding, and interpreting their data so that it can inform more robust attendance strategies. We will identify schools that are utilising data reports effectively and enable them to support others through peer learning via the attendance data network.

These tools will help leaders, including trustees and governors, to identify patterns in attendance, target interventions more precisely, and monitor the impact of their strategies over time. The aim is that this will build capacity and strengthen accountability, ensuring consistent, effective attendance for all pupils.

We will support and challenge responsible bodies by undertaking targeted engagement with them about attendance, where data indicates that attendance in their schools could be improved compared to similar schools, particularly in the 5 to 15% absence band.

By linking attendance, ABIE and banding insights, we can help schools identify SEND pupils vulnerable to disengagement during transition, supporting earlier intervention and improving the sustainability of suitable mainstream places.

Action points will be agreed with responsible bodies and progress against those monitored, to help secure the necessary improvements.

Activity 2: attendance and behaviour hubs

We have 10 attendance and behaviour hub schools operating across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The purpose of this programme is to deliver sector-led, bespoke and high-quality support to those schools that have been identified as having the most profound need. The offer is voluntary for schools to accept.

The hubs will provide 10 days of enhanced support over three terms to identified schools. A maximum of 22 schools each term will be selected to receive this offer, covering mainstream primary, secondary and all-through provision.

The support will be centred around the development and implementation of an effective action plan, which will highlight and focus on specific challenges in each school and help refine leadership, strengthen systems and improve everyday practice accordingly so that attendance improves at pace and these changes are embedded for long-lasting impact. 

Alongside this, hubs will run a wider regional offer reaching more than 300 schools a year across Yorkshire and the Humber. Sitting alongside a series of sessions delivered through our attendance and behaviour hub programme, our hubs will host open days linked to the thematic content of these sessions, including areas such as leadership and vision, data-informed action and building strong relationships.

Through these networks, schools will learn from one another, share practical strategies, enhance regional connectivity and contribute to a more consistent, effective regional approach to improving attendance. 

We will ensure that all schools in the region, as well as key stakeholders such as Trust and local authority leads, are aware of this offer, how to access it and that the most in need schools are focused effectively for enhanced support where appropriate.

Activity 3: strengthening secondary transition and attendance in key stage 3

The data shows that absence increases across Yorkshire and the Humber as pupils move through their school life. Attendance and behaviour hubs will work to improve secondary transition, working closely with primary feeder schools to:

• co-develop effective approaches such as early family engagement, where attendance is a known issue
• familiarisation with key staff
• the development of sustained relationships that continue into year 7 and beyond

Schools will be supported to create positive induction experiences and nurturing environments that help pupils feel a genuine sense of belonging in their secondary schools. In doing so, they will set clear attendance expectations for both pupils and their families, and the rapid allocation of support, where issues are identified.

We will promote effective approaches to help improve attendance through key stage 3 by ensuring we share best practice from the schools that are successful at this. This will include areas such as early family engagement, and strong induction.

We will also share best practice from schools with strong key stage 3 attendance for SEND pupils. The establishment of a regional key stage 3 network will aid the implementation of this. We will offer opportunities for structured peer learning and school visits as well as highlight case studies, enabling the sharing of resources and good practice.

We will also promote the use of DfE data tools to identify pupils at risk of poor attendance in secondary and implement early interventions, including mentoring, personalised and bespoke induction support, and family outreach. This will include the use of DfE data tools to identify SEND or disadvantaged pupils at risk of poor attendance during transition to then plan early intervention before year 7. We will ensure all schools know how to access and use these reports from the View your education data system.

Activity 4: improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils in secondary schools

Disadvantaged pupils in Yorkshire and the Humber are, on average, twice as likely to be absent from school and three times as likely to be persistently so.

We will use attendance data to identify trusts and local authorities where there is scope for improvement. Through a balanced approach of support and challenge, we will work with these partners to review current strategies and identify areas of strength and development.

We will also use targeted engagement with responsible bodies, regular engagements at regional team level and through our promotion of offers such as the attendance and behaviour hubs programme to schools in communities where high deprivation has created challenging circumstances for them and their pupils.

Attendance and behaviour hubs will share best practice from the schools that are successful at improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils. This will include structured peer learning and school visits, to see the practice in action. We will also encourage and support school networks to strengthen parental engagement strategies and the sharing of resources and good practice.

Attainment, with a focus on English and maths

RISE support for improving attainment in schools.

Overview

The regional focus across Yorkshire and the Humber is to improve the region’s weaker outcomes at key stage 4 to close the gap with other regions, while building upon the region’s stronger outcomes at key stage 2, keeping in line with national progress at this key stage.

Outcomes in Yorkshire and the Humber show a marked decline between key stage 2 and key stage 4, highlighting the transitional key stage 3 period as a critical phase for targeted intervention to give pupils a strong foundation for key stage 4. Persistent gaps for disadvantaged pupils continue to be a major concern, along with the outcomes for highly mobile pupils.

The challenge of addressing disadvantage affects all local authorities with some achieving notably higher outcomes, reinforcing the need for sharing good practice.  

Regional focus for Yorkshire and the Humber on attainment

At primary, outcomes for pupils in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2024 to 2025 were broadly in line with the national average. Year 1 phonics outcomes matched the national average of 80% of all pupils meeting the expected standard. 

At key stage 2, 61% of all pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths – slightly below the national average of 62%.  Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils mirrored the national gaps for both phonics and key stage 2 outcomes.  Looking at other groups of pupils with shared characteristics, EAL pupil outcomes in Yorkshire and the Humber were below the national average for that group of pupils, while White working-class pupil outcomes were above the national average. 

For secondary school pupils, in 2024 to 2025, Yorkshire and the Humber ranked eighth of the 9 regions for Attainment 8 (A8) with a score of 44.4, compared with the national average of 46.0. Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils were relatively better when compared with other regions, but still below national levels, with an A8 score of 33.2, compared with the national average of 34.9.

Yorkshire and the Humber had the lowest outcomes of all regions for EAL pupils. Conversely, outcomes for White working-class pupils were stronger, with a Yorkshire and the Humber average A8 score of 30.8, compared with the national average of 30.5.

Long‑standing national challenges around key stage 3 remain evident in Yorkshire and the Humber. key stage 3 relies upon local assessment, limiting monitoring of progress. Where key stage 3 curricula are not closely aligned with pupils’ key stage 2 starting points, some pupils fail to consolidate prior learning. This can lead to slowed progress and reduced engagement, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

Strengthening key stage 3 therefore remains important for sustaining momentum and improving longer‑term outcomes across the region and has read across into our aims for improving attendance for pupils in key stage 3.

Proposed strategies to address attainment in Yorkshire and the Humber

Activity 1: to improve outcomes for pupils facing the greatest barriers – thereby raising attainment for all pupils.

To support progress towards the government’s ambition of raising the average A8 score to 50 and halving the key stage 4 disadvantage gap by 2028 to 2029, we will focus on improving support for schools with pupils who face the greatest barriers to achievement in Yorkshire and the Humber, including those experiencing disadvantage, learners with EAL, and highly mobile pupils such as those from Gypsy‑Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities.

We will bring schools, trusts and system partners together through collaboration between 15 strong local authority based local partnerships, as well as through use of the suite of cross cutting regional networks in the region such as the dedicated GRT network, and suite of support for White working-class resulting from Universal RISE projects commenced in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

These networks will help us understand where progress is slowing for these priority groups and what pupils, parents and staff say they need to achieve better results and more consistent experiences across the region. Events such as the regional GRT conference provide valuable opportunities to share ideas, learn directly from community members and school staff, and explore practical approaches to supporting children and families, while helping to build a stronger regional network for the future.

This coordinated regional approach will sharpen our collective focus on the pupils who need the most support and reduce variation in their experiences.

Activity 2: to bring consistently good primary practice to all schools across the region. 

To build upon the region’s performance at key stage 2 across Yorkshire and the Humber and move towards a national goal that exceeds the pre‑pandemic benchmark of 64.9% of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, we will strengthen regional collaboration through key stage 2 Raising Attainment Networks and local authority partnerships. The latter will particularly support areas that have seen the least recovery since the pandemic.

Leaders will be linked with maths and English hubs and provided with opportunities to share approaches to effective classroom practice, early identification of learning gaps and strategies that re‑engage pupils who have struggled to reconnect with core learning.

Alongside this, leaders will be directed to clear, evidence‑informed tools, including the DfE Writing Framework, to support improvements in teaching quality and consistency.

We will also enhance visibility and accessibility of maths hubs, English hubs and Teaching School hubs by increasing their presence at key regional events as well as through local partnerships. This will ensure that leaders, particularly in secondary schools, can more easily understand the full range of available support. This approach will improve transparency, align hub activity with local needs and increase uptake of high impact support.

To ensure support reaches the schools with the furthest to travel, we will use detailed regional data to identify settings where key stage 2 improvement is most urgent. We will engage in structured, data-led conversations with responsible bodies to understand the factors driving underperformance. These schools will be encouraged to access key stage 2 networks to encourage collaboration, sharing of effective practice and greater relatability. 

Through this combination of networks, enhanced engagement and improved access to expertise, we will create a coherent regional approach. Within Yorkshire and the Humber, we have some pockets of outstanding practice in securing the very highest levels of performance in early literacy in a context of high levels of disadvantage. We have started to replicate this model in two areas and will look to build on that further as we test how to implement and deliver this replication.

Activity 3: to build momentum throughout key stage 3 to improve outcomes in key stage 4

The region recorded one of the lowest average A8 scores of all the regions in summer 2025. Although the precise point at which progress slows is not fully understood, sustaining momentum during key stages of education, particularly during the transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3, requires greater focus.

To support progress towards the government’s ambition of raising the average A8 score to 50, we will establish a regional key stage 3 network, building on existing secondary partnerships and linked closely with the emerging RISE key stage 3 alliance. This network will prioritise support for schools where early secondary progress appears to stall, using enhanced collaboration, data‑informed discussions and subject‑specific input from English and maths Hubs to refine curriculum design, strengthen pedagogical consistency and sustain reading and maths trajectories from key stage 2.

Recognising national and regional priorities, we will embed the importance of parental engagement within this work. The network will promote strategies that strengthen communication with families, support parents’ confidence in the key stage 3 curriculum and foster continuity between primary and secondary expectations, particularly in reading, maths and wider learning behaviours known to influence long‑term attainment trajectories.

There will be coordinated engagement with key stage 2 networks led by strong primary trusts, key stage 3 alliances and local partnerships, ensuring that effective practice spreads more rapidly and reaches schools where support has historically been limited. We will engage in structured, data-led conversations about key stage 3 and key stage 4 attainment with responsible bodies.

Through sustained collaboration, accessible improvement support and a deliberate focus on the early secondary phase, this work will help ensure that pupils maintain the progress they make in primary school and continue towards stronger key stage 4 outcomes.

Regional themes

The activities set out in the regional focus section will not be possible without these themes that underpin all priorities. These are:

Theme 1: leadership

Our regional focus will include: 

• Promoting take-up of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) in all school types, building on the region’s above average participation rate (7.6% in 2023 to 2024). We will make sure regional participants are able to influence the design and iteration of these qualifications, so they speak to the challenges of leadership and how these changes over time.

• Supporting RISE advisers to broker mentoring, coaching, and peer networks for headteachers and senior leaders in schools of all types. 

• Encouraging peer-to-peer support for trust CEOs and chairs, particularly those new to the role, to foster a culture of openness and collaboration. 

• Strengthening RISE leadership networks across the region, including the new and emerging cross regional structures such as the reception networks, the attendance data network, key stage 2 raising attainment networks, the regional key stage 3 network aligned with the national key stage 3 alliance, the phonics and adaptive teaching networks created through universal projects, and the dedicated GRT network.
• Highlighting and scaling successful leadership development programmes already operating in the region and ensuring they are open to all leaders in the region, not just those in academy trusts.

Theme 2: management of surplus places

• To support strategic planning at a local level, the department will work with the sector to develop a decision-making framework for the use of mainstream school space through demographic change.
• This will ensure that the department is balancing the opportunities created by the current fall in birth rates – including delivery of priorities such as support for children and young people with SEND, school-based nursery provision and Best Start Family Hubs – with a collective view on the long-term risks.
• The department is committing to learning from strong local area approaches as we develop a framework that will embed best practice across the system and ensure the mainstream school estate remains resilient and flexible to changing local demand. 
• The department is committed to co-creating this framework with the sector and will engage with key stakeholders throughout 2026, with a view to publishing a framework in autumn 2026.

Theme 3: local partnerships

Through our dialogue in developing this plan with our stakeholders, we agreed that central to all our aims is the fundamental need for 15 strong local partnerships, one in each local authority, that all schools in the area and central government support and engages with. We agreed the principle that this must be the strongest partnership that all schools and trusts become part of.

Our regional focus will include: 

• In our 15 strong local authority-based partnerships, strengthening collaboration between schools, trusts, local authorities, dioceses, and wider services, including health, social care, and youth services, ensuring that local leaders are working together to align priorities and deliver joined-up support. 

• Focusing support to areas with the most acute challenges, such as high levels of persistent absence, exclusions, or underperformance, with a focus on shared accountability and coordinated action. 

• Deploying RISE advisers to support local partnership working, helping to align strategies, broker support and build capacity across local systems. 

• Promoting cross-sector learning, through regional events, case studies, and peer-led improvement networks that showcase effective practice and foster innovation. 

• Embedding learning and infrastructure from recent Priority Education Investment Area (PEIA) work, ensuring that the partnerships and approaches developed in Bradford, Doncaster and the North Yorkshire coastline continue to inform and strengthen collaboration across the region. 

Ambitions

The department will monitor progress against the following ambitions:

• Reception year quality: RISE reception networks are sharing strong practice region‑wide, and school leaders are being supported to evaluate and strengthen reception provision, particularly through Compare your GLD reports.
• Year 6 to year 7 transition: coordinated engagement with key stage 2 networks led by strong primary trusts, key stage 3 alliances and local partnerships, ensuring that effective practice spreads more rapidly.
• Key stage 3: the key stage 3 alliance is supporting schools where early secondary progress appears to stall, using enhanced collaboration, data‑informed discussions and subject‑specific input from English and maths Hubs to refine curriculum design, strengthen pedagogical consistency and sustain reading and maths trajectories from key stage 2.
• Inclusive mainstream: local partnerships are used to ensure new SEND provision is consistent with local area SEND strategies and meets local need, as well as mainstream schools establishing inclusion bases, with networks sharing best practice across the region.
• Attendance: through attendance and behaviour hubs, enhanced support has been delivered to 2 cohorts of schools with further cohorts underway. The equivalent of 30 open days has been delivered.

These ambitions relate to the commitments in 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 Yorkshire and the Humber, our ambition is for key stage 2 outcomes to reach 64% for all pupils and 50% for disadvantaged pupils by the end of this Parliament.

RISE universal school improvement architecture

The Yorkshire and the Humber RISE webpage lists a range of school improvement resources, including access to RISE hubs, networks, and practical tools to support your improvement journey.

Yorkshire and the Humber system leaders recognise that excellent practice which drives the best outcomes should not belong to a particular responsible body, but to the school systems across the whole region – this will be the ‘Y and H Way’ that underpins our universal RISE offer.

By developing and continuously improving a coherent school improvement architecture to support RISE, our RISE Universal offer seeks to enable the seamless sharing of best practice, focused to where it is needed the most, to unlock opportunity and remove barriers throughout childhood and early adulthood for all.

By ‘architecture’, we mean the combination of DfE-funded and endorsed hubs, networks and alliances, alongside the governance, operational and communication structures that connect them and enable consistent, high-quality support for all schools.  

The Yorkshire and the Humber approach ensures that all schools and trusts are part of one of 15 strong strategic partnerships based in their local authority and then connects maths hubs, English hubs, teaching school hubs, and music hubs, alongside a suite of focussed, cross cutting networks that can be accessed across the region based on specific need.

Yorkshire and the Humber aim to utilise RISE as the vehicle to bring greater coherence, alignment and clarity to existing school improvement activity in the region, creating a coordinated system that aligns with national RISE rollouts, including reception networks, attendance and behaviour hubs, and key stage 2 to key stage 3 developments.

This will be achieved by ensuring that existing resource and excellence in the system is shared generously, and new partnerships and networks are developed where we identify a need or ‘cold spot’ so that all Yorkshire and the Humber children and young people can benefit from the collective drive and expertise that exists in the Yorkshire and the Humber school system.

Core regional expectations

Every school belongs to a strong local partnership.

The DfE RISE team will facilitate and champion a school improvement offer that is robust enough to tackle the complex challenges facing learners across the region and to drive sustainable improvement. It will be system-led, by schools, trusts and local authorities combining their resources as part of strong networks and partnerships.

This activity will be centred around 15 local authority-based partnerships to which all schools and trusts belong. We will support the development of these partnerships by mapping and assessing what currently exists and supporting the replicating and sharing of best practice of those that are the most effective, in a way that works for place. This includes the sharing of CPD, systems and processes, and ensuring practical and reciprocal support with local solutions.

These partnerships will actively link in with:

• Research schools, supported by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), champion the use of evidence-led teaching and learning practices across Yorkshire and the Humber.
• DfE-funded hubs offer schools the opportunity to access a wide range of support. These include attendance and behaviour hubs, teaching school hubs and early years stronger Practice hubs, as well as curriculum hubs. These centres of excellence provide evidence-informed programmes and facilitate collaboration across the region.
• RISE advisers work alongside schools and responsible bodies to offer expert advice and to connect schools to the right support and resources at the right time. DfE will keep them up to date on the SEND reform plans of individual local authorities so that they are cognisant of these when making connections and providing advice.

Our RISE Universal offer is underpinned by strong stewardship, ensuring we actively identify best practice and share it generously, consistently and in a coordinated way across the system. Through RISE advisers, and the assessment of current local authority networks, we will play a central role in understanding what works, where it works, and how it can be scaled to benefit all schools.

DfE will play a central role in ensuring local partnerships are aligned with the wider system enablers, and we will:

• build a shared understanding of existing partnerships through mapping using RISE advisers, and stakeholder collaboration
• facilitate the matching and sharing of expertise to strengthen existing or build new partnerships where we identify gaps
• work with local partnership leaders to ensure, accessible communication so that every school and trust is engaged

To ensure access for all to local partnerships we will:

• support local solutions to ensure RISE communications reach all schools and trusts and so that they are all welcomed and encouraged into their local network
• monitor take-up and attendance in local partnership activity, removing the risk of any outlier schools or trusts that are not taking advantage of, and inputting into the local partnership offer

Regional delivery architecture

Everyone can access a range of focused, cross-cutting networks.

Anchored by the 15 local authority partnerships, we will develop a coordinated suite of focused networks designed to meet specific areas of need across the region.

We will combine the suite of existing regional sector led networks, such as the Education Exchange, the North East Lincolnshire system leaders network and Red Kite Connect with the focussed cross cutting networks that result from the regional universal RISE projects such as a GRT network, adaptive teaching network, and an attendance data network.

We will continuously review the existing networks against current and emerging regional priorities and need to address any gaps.

This mapping will inform the development of additional specialist networks to meet emerging and unmet needs. For example, we anticipate establishing an attendance data network, a small school network, as well as other thematic groups aligned to regional priorities and intelligence. These focused networks will complement the core structures, ensuring both breadth and depth of support across all phases and contexts.

We will also ensure that the learning and system assets generated through the five universal projects are fully embedded in our future architecture. Each project will create legacy structures that endure beyond the initial delivery phase:

• a dedicated GRT network emerging from the inclusion project
• a regional phonics network rolled out consistently across Yorkshire and the Humber
• an adaptive teaching network to support evidence-informed classroom practice
• a White working-class suite of support and CPD material to disseminate sector upskilling, embedded using a series of webinars - the learning material will be accessible for all schools and trusts, and we will explore the potential and need for a future related network

These networks will ensure that effective practice continues to be shared generously, scaled and sustained.

In parallel, the region will integrate key national developments into a coherent RISE structure to ensure alignment and avoid duplication:

• reception networks: connected through local authority and trusted networks to guarantee coverage for all early years leaders
• attendance and behaviour hubs: fully incorporated into the wider attendance priority architecture, with the regional attendance and behaviour hub lead feeding intelligence into cross cutting networks
• key stage 2 regional networks: integrated into a formal key stage 2 RISE structure
• RISE key stage 3 alliance: establishing a regional key stage 3 network aligned with the national alliance

Through this layered architecture, rooted in the 15 local authority networks, strengthened by focused specialist networks, and informed by both national developments and the legacy of our universal projects, we will create a coherent, connected and equitable regional system for school improvement.

Future Architecture

Yorkshire and the Humber’s vision for the steady state RISE Universal school improvement architecture is a coherent, generous and fully connected regional system.

Success hinges on true collaboration, and each system leader acting in the best interests of all children and young people in the region - ‘The Y and H Way’.

The architecture will be made up of:

• 15 robust, effective local authority-based partnerships that draw on the expertise and resource of each other, but that are strongly pivoted to serve place, and that all schools and trusts actively engage in.
• Full engagement from all trusts, schools and local authorities in a comprehensive suite of cross cutting networks pivoted to address our regional priorities, giving and receiving resource openly and without ego or prejudice, ensuring the system is inclusive, responsive and acting only in the best interests of the children and young people it serves.
• A layered suite of focused regional networks, open to all schools based on need.
• School improvement activity across all networks, including across local authority partnerships, underpinned using school visits as a vehicle for sharing best practice.
• Clear communication and pathways for schools to access universal, focused and specialist support.
• National alliances and developments feeding into regional activity through connected structures.
• A coherent engagement framework shaping how schools, system leaders and partners interact with RISE.

A consistent engagement framework will be used across all partners to ensure that system enablers are embedded and applied rigorously. This will ensure:

• clear purpose and expected outcomes for each activity
• robust monitoring and review arrangements
• avoidance of duplication and parallel structures
• clear ownership and accountability

Through this framework, every part of the system will operate with clarity, purpose and shared responsibility.

Insight, feedback and impact

The region will maintain a strong focus on insight, quality and impact by: 

• Using RISE advisers and DfE Area Leads to bring expertise, contextual insight and constructive external challenge to strengthen consistent delivery across hubs and networks, though not necessarily to provide additional capacity.
• Supporting and quality assuring delivery across local partnerships, hubs and networks through regular review and peer challenge.
• Using local intelligence, data and insights from school improvement plans to monitor progress and refine delivery.
• Maintaining alignment with national evidence, guidance and evaluation frameworks.
• Building shared accountability across partners, with transparency about what is working and where further improvement is needed.

Transition plan

To move from the current to the future architecture, Yorkshire and the Humber will:

• Continuously review the suite of cross-cutting networks, and partnerships throughout transition to ensure that they are meeting local, regional and national priorities.
• Engage system leaders, trusts and local authorities throughout the transition, ensuring that the future network architecture is co‑designed, sector owned, coherent and responsive to the needs of every area and phase.
• Work with RISE advisers and area leads for regional insight, understand contextual variation and shape where focused networks or support structures are most needed.
• Implement robust monitoring and feedback mechanisms that track engagement, participation, the quality of activity and emerging risks, ensuring timely responsiveness and continuous improvement.
• Sequence implementation to align with national timelines and capacity.
• Risk management of duplication, cold spots or variable engagement in any particular places or types of schools.

Key to the transition will be clear communication and stronger partnership working.

Governance and operational delivery

Operational delivery will be supported by clear roles and responsibilities, coordination mechanisms and regular engagement with Hubs, networks and partners. We will actively invite schools, trusts, local authorities, dioceses and sector leaders to provide feedback and contribute to shaping and strengthening the architecture over time. 

A Yorkshire and the Humber RISE regional delivery partnership will be established, bringing together representation from, for example, local authorities, dioceses, trusts, hubs, network leads and/or 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 national and regional priorities.

We will also oversee the delivery of Universal RISE through focused monitoring of participation and reach by:

• Continuous review of our suite of cross-cutting networks to ensure that they continue to meet local, regional and national priorities and need.
• Drawing on insight from hubs, networks and local partners to refine our priorities, taking an agile approach to a changing landscape.
• Collaboration with other regions to share intelligence and assure us that the structure remains evidence-informed and accessible.

For school, trust and local authority leaders, universal RISE is primarily experienced through their local authority‑based partnership, supported by access to regional and national hubs and networks based on need. RISE advisers help leaders navigate this offer, connect to appropriate support and align activity across the system. 

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

Case study: a collaborative approach to transforming reading in Barnsley

Background

Barnsley local authority has a longstanding commitment to improving educational outcomes and removing barriers to learning for its diverse pupil population.

In response to persistent challenges in literacy, the Barnsley Schools’ Alliance formed a strategic partnership with the Jerry Clay English Hub. This collaboration aims to raise standards in phonics and reading across primary schools through targeted interventions and sustained support.

The challenge

Barnsley schools have faced ongoing challenges in raising literacy standards.

Key stage 2 reading attainment remains below the national average, and there was a significant disparity in performance between the highest and lowest attaining schools.

Key issues identified include:

• persistent gaps in phonics knowledge extending into upper key stages
• inconsistent approaches to the teaching of early reading across schools
• limited access to high-quality professional development in phonics and reading pedagogy
• irregular parental engagement and limited support for reading at home

Working collaboratively

Barnsley Schools’ Alliance partnered with the Jerry Clay English Hub to improve literacy. The Hub, a national leader in phonics and reading for pleasure, shares the goal that every Barnsley child should read fluently by the end of primary school.

Key objectives included:

• improving the quality and consistency of phonics teaching
• strengthening assessment and intervention practices
• raising attainment in the year 1 phonics screening check and subsequent reading outcomes
• enhancing fluency and comprehension, particularly at key stage 2 transition
• building teacher confidence and subject knowledge
• establishing a sustainable, collaborative model for school improvement

Key initiatives

• Diagnostic audit and bespoke phonics support: audits of phonics provision, identifying issues like inconsistent delivery, staff knowledge gaps, limited decodable texts, and variable leadership engagement.
• Professional development and coaching: staff received focused CPD on phonics, assessment, and reading for pleasure, with coaching and blended training improving confidence and consistency across phases.
• Resources and decodable texts: schools received support to implement phonics programmes and funding for decodable books, improving alignment between teaching and reading materials, boosting engagement, and strengthening home-school links.
• Engaging parents and the wider community: schools boosted family involvement through phonics workshops, resources, and reading events. During COVID-19, remote teaching and continued support helped minimise learning loss, with most pupils making strong reading recoveries post-lockdown.

Impact

The partnership has led to steady improvements in year 1 phonics screening check results, with Barnsley narrowing the gap with national averages in the 3 years before COVID-19.

	2017	2018	2019
Barnsley	78.1%	80.1%	80.3%
National	81.2%	82.5%	81.9%
Gap	-3.1%	-2.4%	-1.6%

In the 3 years following COVID-19, Barnsley schools improved faster than the national average, widening the attainment gap in year 1 phonics screening check results.

	2022	2023	2024
Barnsley	81.1%	85.5%	87.0%
National	75.5%	78.9%	80.0%
Gap	5.6%	6.6%	7%

2025 outcomes show that Barnsley continues to perform above national averages:

• the disadvantage gap in Barnsley is 12 percentage points narrower than the national gap
• National: 84% (non-disadvantaged) vs. 67% (disadvantaged) = 17% gap
• Barnsley: 87% (non-disadvantaged) vs. 78% (disadvantaged) = 9% gap
• 58% of pupils receiving SEND support achieved 32+ in the phonics screening check, against national average of 52%
• key stage 2 reading attainment is now 1% above national average
• teachers report stronger phonics delivery and confidence
• pupil engagement and parental involvement have increased

Reflections

The partnership faced several challenges:

• initial staff resistance to new approaches, addressed through sustained CPD
• maintaining fidelity to systematic synthetic phonics programmes alongside competing curriculum demands
• closing legacy gaps in older pupils’ reading through targeted intervention

Key learning points included:

• embedding change gradually, rather than seeking quick fixes
• investing in leadership at all levels, particularly subject leaders
• ensuring open communication and effective data sharing to support continuous improvement

Next steps and sustainability

Barnsley’s borough-wide strategy has now been extended to both Sheffield and Rotherham, with the potential to be rolled out across Yorkshire and the Humber. It embeds ‘every child a reader’ within broader child development goals, uniting schools, libraries, and community partners.

Schools remain committed to high-quality reading provision, supported by tailored English hub pathways and sustained CPD funding. Future focus includes leadership development, sharing best practice, and deepening work on reading for pleasure and comprehension, ensuring all children read fluently and with enjoyment.

Conclusion

The Barnsley English Hub partnership shows how collaboration, focused CPD, and evidence-based practice can drive sustained improvements in literacy. Focused efforts on phonics, fluency, and comprehension have led to measurable gains in pupil outcomes, and schools are now better equipped to deliver high-quality reading provision.