RISE: South East
Published 19 September 2025
Applies to England
Regional Director’s welcome
The Regional Director for the South East is Dame Kate Dethridge.
As Regional Director for the South East at the Department for Education, I am thrilled to introduce you to our RISE programme, designed to support and inspire school improvement across our region.
The RISE programme has a bold ambition: to break the link between a child’s background and their future success. Through RISE, we are working together, helping schools access high-quality support that drives meaningful change and helps ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Together with our RISE advisers, we are focusing on:Ìý
- boosting reception year outcomes, especially in coastal communitiesÌý
- raising attainment for disadvantaged pupils across all phasesÌý
- improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disability (SEND)
- fostering inclusive mainstream schools that set high expectations for every learnerÌý
As experienced leaders in the school system, the RISE advisers and I understand the immense privilege and complex challenges of leading schools. We know that no single school can tackle these challenges alone, which is why collaboration is at the heart of RISE. The school system in the South East has many strengths and, by working together across our region, we can share expertise, build collective capacity, and strengthen the support available to every school, ensuring that all children receive the high-quality education they deserve.Ìý
The resources on this page will support your school’s improvement journey. Please consider how your school might take advantage of RISE resources to support your improvement plans.ÌýÌý
We look forward to working with you to create lasting, positive change for children and young people across the South East.
RISE advisers
The RISE advisers for the South East region are:
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Jamie Clarke – Chief Executive, Tove Learning Trust
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Tim Mills – former Executive Director of Primary, STEP Academy Trust
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Claire Lowe – Chief Executive, Inspire Learning Partnership
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Pan Panayiotou – Chief Executive, South Downs Education Trust
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Emma Bradshaw – Chief Executive, Alternative Learning Trust
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Lee Mason-Ellis – Chief Executive, The Pioneer Academy
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Maria Dawes – Strategic Adviser, Schools Alliance for Excellence
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Catherine Morley – Headteacher, Theale Church of England Primary School, and Director of Education, Thames Learning Trust, Berkshire
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Kate Parietti – School Improvement Adviser, West Berkshire Local Authority
Hubs
Maths hubs
There are 40 national maths hubs in England. Each hub is a partnership of schools, colleges, multi-academy trusts and other organisations. Hubs provide a range of:
- subject and pedagogical knowledge
- wider professional and school development opportunities for teachers, leaders and teaching assistants, from reception to A level
This consists of:Ìý
- work groups (particularly supporting implementation of teaching for mastery pedagogy)ÌýÌý
- specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics (SKTM) programmesÌýÌý
- professional learning communities for leadersÌýÌýÌý
- development programmes for local leaders of mathematics education (LLME)
- targeted, bespoke, intensive support for schools in need of greater assistance to help them benefit from universal support
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Areas: Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury Vale District is shared with Enigma), Oxfordshire, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead
info@bbomathshub.org.uk
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Areas: Bedford, Buckinghamshire District (Aylesbury Vale is shared with Bucks, Berks and Oxon Maths Hub), Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes and West Northamptonshire
enigmamathshub@denbigh.net
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Areas: Kent and Medway
info@kandmmathshub.org.uk
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Areas: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Swindon, West Berkshire, Wiltshire and Wokingham
info@mobiusmathshub.org.uk
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Areas: Hampshire Districts (Basingstoke and Deane, Hart and Rushmoor) and Surrey
mathshubteam@nehsmathshub.org.uk
Areas: Hampshire districts (East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest, Test Valley, Winchester), Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton
info@solentmathshub.org.uk
Ìý
Areas: Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex
hello@sussexmathshub.co.uk
English hubs
English hubs offer a range of support and continuing professional development (CPD) to primary schools to improve the teaching of early reading, with a particular focus on:
- systematic synthetic phonics
- early language
- reading for pleasure
This consists of tailored support from a literacy specialist, CPD and funding to buy phonics and early language resources.Ìý
English hubs are also running a secondary pilot that builds on the existing offer by helping secondary schools:
- embed reading as a whole-school priority
- improve outcomes for pupils with reading needs
- strengthen professional knowledge around effective reading support
There are 34 English hubs in England.
Areas: Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Eastbourne, Folkestone and Hythe, Gravesham, Hastings, Maidstone, Medway, Rother, Sevenoaks, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells, Tandridge, WealdenÌý
Areas: Adur, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Hart, Havant, Horsham, Isle of Wight, Lewes, New Forest, Portsmouth, Southampton, Test Valley, Wealden, Winchester, Worthing
Areas: Bracknell Forest, Cherwell, Crawley, Basingstoke and Deane, Buckinghamshire, Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford, Milton Keynes, Mole Valley, Oxford, Reading, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, Rushmoor, Slough, South Oxfordshire, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Vale of White Horse, Waverley, West Berkshire, West Oxfordshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Woking, Wokingham
Teaching school hubs
Teaching school hubsÌýare centres of excellence led by schools and multi-academy trusts.Ìý
They offer teacher training and professional development for teachers and leaders at all stages of their career.ÌýÌý
They play a significant role in the delivery of:Ìý
- school-based initial teacher training (ITT)Ìý
- national professional qualifications (NPQs)Ìý
- the early career teacher entitlement (ECTE)ÌýÌý
- appropriate bodyÌýservices for theÌýinduction of early career teachersÌý
Teaching school hubs are the main provider of appropriate body services.
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Areas: Buckinghamshire
hello@astra-alliance.com
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Areas: Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Worthing
tsh@glfschools.orgÌý
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Areas: Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Isle of Wight, New Forest, Portsmouth, Southampton, Test Valley, Winchester
info@hisptsh.orgÌý
ÌýÌý
Areas: Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells,
info@ktsh.org.uk
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Areas: Cherwell, Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, West Oxfordshire
info@otsh.org.ukÌý
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Areas: Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother, Wealden
stepaheadtsh@stepacademytrust.orgÌý
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Areas: Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Guildford, Hart, Rushmoor, Waverley
tshub@sfet.org.ukÌý
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Areas: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham
tshberkshire@lgs.slough.sch.ukÌý
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Areas: Dartford, Gravesham, Medway
enquiries@TGTSH.org.uk
Ìý
Areas: Elmbridge, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Woking
teachingschoolhub@xaviercet.org.ukÌý
Music hubs
Music hub partnerships are made up of a range of organisations that work together to deliver high-quality music provision for all children and young people in and out of school. The hub programme funds a network of 43 hub partnerships that cover every area of England.
Areas: Berkshire
contact@berksmusictrust.org.uk
Areas: Sussex
hello@createmusic.org.uk
Areas: Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
musicservice@bucksmusic.org
Areas: Hampshire
music.service@hants.gov.uk
Areas: Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
inspiring.music@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Areas: Kent and Medway
hello@kent-music.com
 Ìý
Areas: SouthamptonÌý
music@siowmusic.org
Areas: Surrey
surreymusichub@surreycc.gov.uk