Accountability measures and RISE consultation

Top takeaway

The DfE is carrying out a consultation into School accountability reform.

Proposed changes include the introduction of digital school profiles and the use of Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams to support school improvement.

The consultation closes on 28 April 2025. 

*Note that there’s a separate consultation being carried out on Improving the way Ofsted inspects education. See our previous Need to Know for more detail!

More detail

In the accountability consultation, the DfE is seeking views on:

• school accountability principles
• school profiles - a new digital service which provides information about schools
• a stronger approach to school improvement through intervention. 

Accountability principles 

In the press release introducing the two consultations, Government sets out plans to target ‘stuck’ schools, Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson tells us that:

Stronger accountability, increased intervention in stuck schools and faster school improvement are at the heart of this government’s plan to give every child the best start in life.

For a fuller list of the principles being consulted on, see page 13 of the consultation document, School accountability reform – school profiles, improvement and intervention.

What are stuck schools?

‘Stuck’ schools are schools that were graded as requires improvement at their most recent Ofsted inspection, and were also graded as below good at their previous inspection. According to Phillipson, there are over 600 of them, educating more than 300,000 children.

School profiles

The DfE is proposing to introduce digital school profiles:

a single accessible place – a ‘one-stop shop’ – where parents and professionals can go to see the broad range of information about a school. This would include the Ofsted report card, up-to-date performance information and a range of other helpful information. (Page 15)

What the other ‘helpful information’ might be isn’t clear – that’s part of the consultation process. 

The digital school profiles would be hosted by the DfE.

When will interventions happen?

The proposal is for ‘a better and faster approach to school improvement with more effective, timely, and proportionate intervention where it is needed’ (page 18).

• Schools judged by Ofsted to require special measures will continue to receive ‘structural intervention’. A maintained school will become an academy, and an existing academy will be transferred to a new trust.
• For the time being, until RISE teams are considered to be at capacity (estimated to be September 2026), ‘a school judged to require significant improvement will also continue by default to receive structural intervention’ (page 18). 
• From September 2026, schools judged to require significant improvement will receive mandatory targeted intervention from a RISE team. If necessary improvements haven’t been made after 18 months, structural intervention will be the next step. 
• Stuck schools will receive mandatory targeted intervention from a RISE team. 

What is RISE?

Regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) is the government’s new regional school improvement initiative. RISE advisers will work regionally to support schools. 

The first RISE advisers have been announced, with the majority of them coming from multi-academy trusts. 

The government is investing £20 million in the teams, and says that up to £100,000 will be available to individual schools needing specialist support. 

Reading and resources

• DfE consultation: School accountability reform
• Consultation document: School accountability reform – school profiles, improvement and intervention
• DfE press release: Government sets out plans to target ‘stuck’ schools
• Adviser list: Regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE)
• Education Secretary speech on new era of school standards
• Schools Week: New accountability regime: RISE, ‘stuck’ schools and profiles explained