Describing \u201cstuck schools\u201d as the \u201cnew front in the fight against low expectations\u201d, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: \u201cI will not accept a system that is content for some to sink, even while others soar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe opportunity to succeed must be the right of every child. We simply can\u2019t allow stuck schools to disappear off the radar.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s your trusty Schools Week explainer of all you need to know \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Automatic academisation still for \u2018special measures\u2019 schools \u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nOfsted will continue to identify schools in a category of concern: either \u2018special measures\u2019 or \u2018requires significant improvement\u2019 (the latter is to be renamed from the current \u2018serious weaknesses\u2019<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\nDespite repealing a \u2018duty\u2019 to academise such schools as part of its schools bill reforms, Labour said the \u201cdefault intervention\u201d for both maintained and academy schools put in \u2018special measures\u2019 \u201cshould be structural intervention\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn such a case, a maintained school would become an academy and an academy would be forced to join a \u201cnew and strong trust\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The consultation states this is the \u201cbest way to secure the necessary improvement\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will also engage with those \u201cin a category of concern to ensure that improvement starts immediately\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. \u2026 but those \u2018requiring significant improvement\u2019 to get mandatory RISE support<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nSchools rated \u2018requires significant improvement\u2019 will continue to academise, with RISE teams supporting \u201cthrough the transition\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBut from September 2026, government plans to instead provide such schools with \u201cmandatory targeted intervention\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRISE teams would deliver \u201ca bespoke package of challenge and support to target areas of weakness identified in Ofsted report cards, instead of moving directly to structural change\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In such cases, Ofsted plans to conduct five monitoring visits \u201cwithin 18 months, unless the issues have been resolved earlier\u201d. A full inspection will then take place if it is still causing concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rebrokerages or academy orders will \u201cbe the default if the necessary improvements have not been made\u201d<\/strong>. Government will \u201calso be ready, where necessary, to use other intervention powers in parallel\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGovernment said they expect the number of schools facing intervention will double compared to current numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. \u2018Stuck\u2019 schools are back! (and will get \u00a320m for support)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nFrom this month, RISE teams will deliver \u201ctargeted intervention\u201d to the more than 600 \u2018stuck\u2019 schools, educating more than 300,000 pupils.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nStuck schools are defined as those graded \u2018requires improvement\u2019 at their most recent inspection and also graded below \u2018good\u2019 at their previous one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Government said they \u201cneed to do more to speed up improvement in these schools\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stuck schools were a thing a few years ago under Ofsted<\/a>, and more recently called ‘coasting’ under the Conservative government<\/a>, but the intervention was scrapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA \u00a320 million pot has been set aside for support, with up to \u00a3100,000 in help available initially for each school. It suggests support will be varied, as the funding averages \u00a333,000 per \u2018stuck\u2019 school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This compares to the \u00a36,000 provided through the previous trust and school improvement offer, government said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Ofsted report cards are introduced, the definition of a \u2018stuck\u2019 school will be updated to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Those that receive \u201can \u2018attention needed\u2019 rating against \u2018leadership and governance\u2019\u201d, having been given a grade of \u201cbelow \u2018good\u2019 \u2013 or equivalent \u2013 at their previous\u201d inspection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If the school hasn\u2019t \u201cachieved new secure ratings\u2026 in all areas within two years, the default will be to move to structural intervention\u201d<\/strong>, which means they will either be academised or rebrokered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. RISE teams will also \u2018engage\u2019 schools with \u2018concerning pupil attainment\u2019 <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe work doesn\u2019t end there for RISE teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was previously revealed that schools will be split into \u201cthree tiers\u201d \u2013 based on Ofsted\u2019s new report cards \u2013 for RISE improvement support: universal help, targeted support, and intervention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, government has also revealed plans for teams to \u201cengage\u201d with schools \u2013 via their responsible bodies \u2013 where \u201cthere are concerning levels of pupil attainment, including large year-on-year declines\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is because Ofsted inspections are \u201cperiodic and some schools cannot wait until their next inspection to begin to receive help\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However there is no further detail on this, nor when it might start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Your governors might be sacked if you don\u2019t follow RISE orders<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nConsultation documents also show the department, as a regulator, may use \u201cits intervention powers to ensure engagement with RISE teams<\/strong> and the interventions they have arranged\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor maintained schools, those could mean ordering their \u201cgoverning body to enter into arrangements for the provision of advisory services, appointing additional governors and imposing an interim executive board, to help create the conditions for improvement\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Phillipson will \u201cpublish detailed guidance\u201d on how she will \u201cexercise the power to intervene in schools\u201d following the consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. 20 RISE advisers announced (and more to come)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe first 20 RISE advisers \u2013 school leaders with turnaround experience \u2013 have been named this morning.<\/a> All but three have been seconded from academy trusts.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThey will work alongside teams of civil servants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schools Week <\/em>revealed in November<\/a> that this first batch of advisers would be handpicked by ministers. More will be selected through a formal recruitment process by April.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn advance of the launch of Ofsted report cards later this year, schools will be eligible for targeted support brokered by RISE teams if they fall into one of three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- They were in line to be academised or rebrokered prior to the government\u2019s decision to stop intervening in those with two or more below-good grades;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Are considered a \u201cstuck school\u201d after two or more \u2018requires improvement\u2019 or below inspection ratings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- If they \u201chave not had a change of structure\u201d since their last Ofsted visit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
7. National Leaders of Education system axed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe consultation states that the RISE teams \u201cwill build upon and replace the National Leaders of Education (NLEs) programme<\/strong> which has delivered school-to-school support across the country\u201d for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNLEs will continue to help schools \u201cuntil the end of their designations\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They \u201cmay seek to work with the department as future RISE advisers or as part of high-quality organisations providing specialist support\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite repealing a \u2018duty\u2019 to academise such schools as part of its schools bill reforms, Labour said the \u201cdefault intervention\u201d for both maintained and academy schools put in \u2018special measures\u2019 \u201cshould be structural intervention\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In such a case, a maintained school would become an academy and an academy would be forced to join a \u201cnew and strong trust\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The consultation states this is the \u201cbest way to secure the necessary improvement\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will also engage with those \u201cin a category of concern to ensure that improvement starts immediately\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools rated \u2018requires significant improvement\u2019 will continue to academise, with RISE teams supporting \u201cthrough the transition\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But from September 2026, government plans to instead provide such schools with \u201cmandatory targeted intervention\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RISE teams would deliver \u201ca bespoke package of challenge and support to target areas of weakness identified in Ofsted report cards, instead of moving directly to structural change\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In such cases, Ofsted plans to conduct five monitoring visits \u201cwithin 18 months, unless the issues have been resolved earlier\u201d. A full inspection will then take place if it is still causing concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebrokerages or academy orders will \u201cbe the default if the necessary improvements have not been made\u201d<\/strong>. Government will \u201calso be ready, where necessary, to use other intervention powers in parallel\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Government said they expect the number of schools facing intervention will double compared to current numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From this month, RISE teams will deliver \u201ctargeted intervention\u201d to the more than 600 \u2018stuck\u2019 schools, educating more than 300,000 pupils.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stuck schools are defined as those graded \u2018requires improvement\u2019 at their most recent inspection and also graded below \u2018good\u2019 at their previous one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Government said they \u201cneed to do more to speed up improvement in these schools\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stuck schools were a thing a few years ago under Ofsted<\/a>, and more recently called ‘coasting’ under the Conservative government<\/a>, but the intervention was scrapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A \u00a320 million pot has been set aside for support, with up to \u00a3100,000 in help available initially for each school. It suggests support will be varied, as the funding averages \u00a333,000 per \u2018stuck\u2019 school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This compares to the \u00a36,000 provided through the previous trust and school improvement offer, government said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Ofsted report cards are introduced, the definition of a \u2018stuck\u2019 school will be updated to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the school hasn\u2019t \u201cachieved new secure ratings\u2026 in all areas within two years, the default will be to move to structural intervention\u201d<\/strong>, which means they will either be academised or rebrokered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The work doesn\u2019t end there for RISE teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was previously revealed that schools will be split into \u201cthree tiers\u201d \u2013 based on Ofsted\u2019s new report cards \u2013 for RISE improvement support: universal help, targeted support, and intervention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, government has also revealed plans for teams to \u201cengage\u201d with schools \u2013 via their responsible bodies \u2013 where \u201cthere are concerning levels of pupil attainment, including large year-on-year declines\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is because Ofsted inspections are \u201cperiodic and some schools cannot wait until their next inspection to begin to receive help\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However there is no further detail on this, nor when it might start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consultation documents also show the department, as a regulator, may use \u201cits intervention powers to ensure engagement with RISE teams<\/strong> and the interventions they have arranged\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For maintained schools, those could mean ordering their \u201cgoverning body to enter into arrangements for the provision of advisory services, appointing additional governors and imposing an interim executive board, to help create the conditions for improvement\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phillipson will \u201cpublish detailed guidance\u201d on how she will \u201cexercise the power to intervene in schools\u201d following the consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first 20 RISE advisers \u2013 school leaders with turnaround experience \u2013 have been named this morning.<\/a> All but three have been seconded from academy trusts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They will work alongside teams of civil servants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools Week <\/em>revealed in November<\/a> that this first batch of advisers would be handpicked by ministers. More will be selected through a formal recruitment process by April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In advance of the launch of Ofsted report cards later this year, schools will be eligible for targeted support brokered by RISE teams if they fall into one of three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The consultation states that the RISE teams \u201cwill build upon and replace the National Leaders of Education (NLEs) programme<\/strong> which has delivered school-to-school support across the country\u201d for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NLEs will continue to help schools \u201cuntil the end of their designations\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They \u201cmay seek to work with the department as future RISE advisers or as part of high-quality organisations providing specialist support\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. \u2026 but those \u2018requiring significant improvement\u2019 to get mandatory RISE support<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. \u2018Stuck\u2019 schools are back! (and will get \u00a320m for support)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
4. RISE teams will also \u2018engage\u2019 schools with \u2018concerning pupil attainment\u2019 <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Your governors might be sacked if you don\u2019t follow RISE orders<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. 20 RISE advisers announced (and more to come)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
7. National Leaders of Education system axed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot-2025-02-03-at-125348-928x1024.png\")
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