Attendance and behaviour hubs: 29 more lead schools revealed

The names of 29 more schools that will become lead schools for the government’s attendance and behaviour hubs programme have been revealed.

It means the names of 86 of the planned 90 hub lead schools are now known, after 21 were announced in August and a further 36 in November.

The list of new hubs has not yet been published, but most are named in a letter seen by Schools Week, dated January 9 and addressed to council attendance leads from Simon Blake, deputy director of the Department for Education’s attendance division.

The attendance and behaviour hubs are the result of Labour’s decision to merge two of the last government’s schemes – and come with much less funding attached.

The Conservatives’ behaviour hubs programme received £10 million of funding, although its record after its launch in 2021 was mixed. By contrast, the new integrated hubs programme will get £1.5 million of funding.

More names to be published

The government intends for the hubs to support schools in improving attendance and behaviour by sharing best practice and helping implement changes.

Education specialists with leadership, behaviour and attendance expertise will work with the 90 hubs to support around 5,000 schools in total.

Former behaviour tsar Tom Bennett and ex-headteacher Jayne Lowe were appointed as ambassadors for the scheme last year.

Other than one all-through school, all of the 29 hubs are either primary or secondary schools, meaning none of the hubs named so far are special schools.

None of the latest group of hubs are in London, with ten schools in the capital having been appointed in the first two rounds.

The letter says extra schools in south east England were “in the process of being appointed” at the time it was written. These have since been appointed, but their names are as yet unknown.

Blake’s letter says: “I am writing to inform you that we will be launching our RISE attendance and behaviour hubs programme in the coming months. The hubs programme is intended to galvanize a community of practice: allowing schools to work together to share practice and insights.”

Schools urged to seek support

The letter asks councils to let local schools know about the ongoing call for expressions of interest in accessing support from the attendance and behaviour hubs programme, the deadline for which is in February.

There are two main pathway through which schools can access support under the programme…

1. Lighter touch support – partner schools will have access to a structured attendance and behaviour CPD offer, opportunities to visit their lead school, and discuss and share practice with other schools in their hub
2. Enhanced support – partner schools will have access to ten days of intensive leadership support over three terms supporting them to develop and implement an attendance and behaviour focused action plan

Blake’s letter adds: “I have attached a list of lead schools that have been appointed for all regions for reference.

“This information is not yet in the public domain so would be grateful if you could keep it within your authority. I know that a number of you are also already in dialogue with our regional teams to support this initiative.”

While the new hubs are not due to be announced until later this week, one of the newly appointed schools – the Lord Grey Academy in Milton Keynes – referred to the programme in a job advert for the role of ‘vice principal behaviour’ posted on December 19.

“We are very proud to have just been designated as a lead school – attendance and behaviour hub by the Department for Education (DfE) supporting other schools in the region with Enhanced and Regional Support. This role offers an unique opportunity in supporting other schools to develop practice too.”

The 29 new attendance and behaviour hub lead schools on the list seen by Schools Week are…

East of England

• Purford Green Primary School, Primary
• Woods Loke Primary School, Primary
• Southfield Primary Academy, Primary
• The Eastwood Academy, Secondary
• Chesterton Community College, Secondary
• Ely College, Secondary

East Midlands

• Hollingwood Primary School, Primary
• Keelby Primary School, Primary
• St Mary C of E Primary Academy, Primary
• Landau Forte College, Secondary

London

North East

• Caedmon Community Primary School, Primary

North West

• Coop Academy Woodslee, Primary
• Evelyn Street Primary Academy and Nursery, Primary
• Archbishop Blanch CofE High School Secondary

South East

• The Lord Grey Academy, Secondary
• Worthing High, Secondary
• Extra schools in the process of being appointed

South West

• Lostwithiel School, Primary
• Penrice Academy, Secondary
• Cranbrook Education Campus, All-through

West Midlands

• Ark St Alban’s Academy, Secondary
• Brookfields Primary School, Primary
• Chadsmead Primary Academy, Primary
• St Mary’s Catholic Primary, Primary
• St Thomas Cantilupe CofE Academy, Primary
• Q3 Academy Langley, Secondary

Yorkshire & Humber

• The Willows Academy, Primary
• Edlington Victoria Academy, Primary
• Horizon Community College, Secondary
• The Laurel Academy, Secondary

The 57 schools previously announced