Rise appoints new Director of Education
Rise appoints new Director of Education to support schools as they move from “good to great”
Rise is delighted to announce the appointment of Dave Ellison-Lee as the Trust’s first Director of Education.
Dave joins Rise after leading a variety of schools in the South of England; ranging from growing free schools with small pupil numbers, to large inner-city schools with over 700 pupils. He has also taken on wider responsibility across a group of schools in a strong national multi-academy trust.
In some of the most recent inspections by Ofsted of his schools, his leadership was praised for helping to establish “a culture of the highest aspirations and expectations for all”, and for having a strong focus on professional development for teaching staff.
Dave said that the Rise’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child makes the most out of their time at primary school was one of the key reasons he applied for the post.
He said: “What I love about Rise is the strong vision and values, and the commitment to being scandalously inclusive. The opportunity to join a growing trust and make a difference to the communities Rise currently serves, and those it will serve in the future, excites me greatly.”
Aside from his direct experience working in schools, Mr Ellison-Lee holds a Masters in Educational Leadership, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. He has also worked with the Department for Education and Standards and Testing Agency on primary assessment and chaired a review of assessment practices for the National Association of Headteachers.
Mark Cole, CEO of Rise MAT, added: “We are proud that all the schools in our Trust are currently Ofsted Good or better. While that is a fantastic milestone, it is not the end of the journey. We want to continue to push from good to great.
“That is why this appointment is so important. Our school leaders have been incredible in how they have come together during the pandemic, not only ensuring that the immediate needs of our pupils and communities are met - but also that we continue to strive for the very best for our children.
“Dave’s addition to our team will further strengthen the support we can offer to schools and enhance how we share and echo the amazing best practice we see. While we are not about creating a family of schools that are a mirror image of each other, we all recognise that more can be achieved when we work collectively and collaboratively.”