Major warning issued to 200 failing schools as 300,000 kids are let down

Hit squads are to be sent into 200 failing schools following warnings that 300,000 children are receiving a poor education. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the £20million scheme after an initial pilot project involved 32 schools.

She said: “I am determined to make sure we lift every school, for every child, up to the standard of the best.” Leading head teachers and chief executives of academy trusts have been appointed to work with schools that have received consecutive poor reports by inspectors at regulator Ofsted. Known officially as Regional Improvement in Standards and Excellence (RISE) advisers, they will draw up action plans for schools and pair them with successful education trusts.

There will be a particular focus on improving attendance after Department for Education figures showed one in 44 pupils at state schools in England missed at least half of their lessons in 2023-24. Pupils on free school meals were most likely to miss lessons. One in five pupils were classed as persistently absent, which means they missed at least one in 10 classes.

Progress will be monitored by the team and by Ofsted, with the threat of the school being put under new management if it does not improve.

According to the Department of Education, more than 600 “stuck” schools in England have received consecutive poor Ofsted judgements, affecting 300,000 children. That includes 42 that have been poor for more than 11 years.

Ms Phillipson said: “No child should be spending precious days, let alone years, in schools that are underperforming.”

Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs schools in the South and East of England, will receive intervention under the scheme. The announcement was welcomed by chairwoman Gaenor Bagleym and chief executive Karen Roberts, who said in a joint statement: “We would like to say, at this juncture and for the record, just how refreshing, different and positive the experience of working with the RISE advisers has been – it really does feel like a genuine partnership.”

RISE adviser Herminder K Channa, regional director of Oasis Community Learning, which runs 54 academies across the country, said: “This policy unites us as a sector regardless of trust, local authority, faith or context with a shared commitment to ensure every child can achieve and thrive.

“By championing collaboration over fragmentation and support over intervention, RISE unlocks the collective expertise across our system. Together, we can build a future where excellence is not the exception, but the expectation for every school, every teacher, and every child.”

Anita Cliff, another RISE adviser and chief executive adviser of Manor Multi Academy Trust in the West Midlands, said: “This role gives me the opportunity to support schools across the region in removing barriers to achievement – helping to transform children’s life chances and ensure every child can thrive, regardless of background.”