Latest News
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Barlestone C of E Primary school celebrates ‘Good’ SIAMS report.
Fri 14 Jul 2023Barlestone C of E Primary school has been rated ‘Good’ in all areas in its latest SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) report. Inspectors commented that all individuals are ‘treated with dignity and respect in this inspiring and nurturing school.’
The inspection took place on 15th May 2023, and highlights the efforts put in from both school and Rise trust staff to further implement the Christian teachings and values in all elements of the school.
The school's main vision for pupils "and walk in love, just as Christ also loves us" is applied both through the school's curriculum and Christian teachings, where ‘collective worship is valued by all and is central to school life’. At the end of the school day children will say a prayer of reflection written by a member of the school.
Inspectors also highlighted that the school has strong links to the local church community, and that pupils having the opportunity to learn about other religions during RE creates a stronger sense of community.
Additionally, the school has implemented a ‘Pupils Champions programme’ in Year 6 which has developed students ‘resilience and self-confidence'. There is great emphasis on wellbeing not just the pupils, but staff, trustees and Diocese which further builds their relationships and allows everyone to flourish and succeed.
Furthermore, parents also are enthusiastic about the relationship between school and church and have seen ‘very caring relationships’ develop from this. Rise MAT have worked closely with the school to implement a new curriculum which has created a better work-life balance for staff also.
Jo Westaby, Headteacher commented ‘we are enormously proud that the strengths of our school vision and values have been recognised and celebrated in this report. As a school we are committed to ensure that our school community ‘walk in love together’ so that all can flourish and succeed.’
Mark Cole, Rise CEO said, ‘We are delighted that the many strengths of Barlestone’s Christian, values and ethos were recognised during the inspectors visit. The school is very highly regarded by the community it serves so well’
The full SIAMS report can be read at https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/siams-report-barlestone-cofe-primary-school-140850-15052023.pdf
To arrange a school visit please head to https://www.barlestoneprimaryschool.co.uk/
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Waltham-on-the-Wolds CE Primary delighted with ‘A warm, happy and inclusive school’ and retaining ‘Good’ Ofsted rating
Fri 09 Jun 2023Waltham-on-the-Wolds CE Primary School was judged ‘Good’ by inspectors following a recent visit on 25th and 26th April 2023.
Shaheen Hussain, His Majesty’s Inspector, who led the inspection recognised many strengths in the school including: ‘pupils achieve well’, ‘effective and trusting relationships with families’ ‘wide range of opportunities on offer’ and that pupils are ‘respectful and tolerant of everyone in the school community and beyond’. Inspectors also praised the ambition of leaders to ensure every child is a reader.
Welcoming the report Julie Hopkins, Executive Headteacher said, ‘I am so proud of each and every one of our children and staff; they were able to let their light shine throughout the inspection, just as they do each day. I’d like to thank staff for their dedication and commitment to teaching and learning and to the Rise family who have worked with us to enable all to flourish and succeed. Special thanks to Head of School, Miss Geeson, who works diligently and passionately each day to ensure Waltham School is the best it can be.
Mark Cole, CEO of Rise Multi Academy Trust added, ‘We are delighted that the hard work of staff at Waltham has been recognised. As a family of schools, we work tirelessly to support each school in its improvement journey. This will be the fourth Ofsted inspection that recognises the positive impact of the Trust’s work on curriculum and teacher workload.’
Report highlights included:
- Leaders, including those from the trust, have been rigorous in developing the school’s curriculum. They are relentless in their focus to ensure that all pupils recall more knowledge over time.
- Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers. They do well because leaders quickly identify pupils’ barriers and put in the right support. The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) has, through regular ‘MOT’ discussions, helped staff to understand how to break down the curriculum into smaller steps. This has had a positive impact.
- Pupils know of the importance of positive mental health. They recognise that they might find things hard, but that they should ‘keep trying and not let things get you down’. Pupils who need additional help to regulate emotions do well because they are given effective support.
- Pupils are respectful and tolerant of everyone in the school community and beyond. This prepares them well for life in modern society. They learn to listen to different viewpoints and to debate different ideas in considered ways.
- Most parents and carers speak highly of the school. Families of children who attend the pre-school particularly appreciate how relationships are nurtured. As one parent commented, typical of many, ‘Every child is valued at this school.’
To read the Ofsted report in full please visit: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/140913 or to arrange a school visit please go to https://www.waltham.leics.sch.uk/
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Loughborough CofE Primary celebrates ‘nurturing, well led and managed school’ in maintaining ‘Good’ Ofsted rating
Thu 01 Jun 2023Ofsted visited Loughborough CofEPrimary on 17th and 18th May. Inspectors highlighted the ‘nurturing’ culture in the school and leaders’ ‘high expectations of pupils’, as they judged that the school remains a ‘Good’ school.
Janine Stillwell Headteacher said, ‘We are thrilled that inspectors could see the strengths in our school. We feel the inspection report thoroughly reflects the hard work, dedication and effort on behalf of all the staff over the last few years. It was a joy to hear the inspector share the feedback from pupils and parents. We joined Rise for greater collaboration, teacher development and to share in the work to develop a strong curriculum. It is fantastic that Ofsted highlighted these strengths.’
Loughborough CofE Primary joined Rise Multi Academy Trust in March 2023. Mark Cole, Rise CEO said, ‘We have been working with the school for some time before it officially joined. We are delighted that inspectors recognised the strengths that we have seen at Loughborough. We have had a large number of successful inspections this year and we are delighted for the leaders, staff, pupils and families that Loughborough remains a good school, with many strengths’.
The school is excited to announce that it is due to have major investment in its buildings and work will commence in 2024 to improve facilities in the EYFS.
To read the Ofsted report in full please visit Loughborough Church of England Primary School - Open - Find an Inspection Report - Ofsted or to arrange a school visit please go to
Loughborough CofE Primary School - Home (loughborough-primary.co.uk) -
Rise Nominated for National Award
Thu 25 May 2023We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the MAT Excellence Award for ‘Impact and Growth’.
Mark Cole CEO, ‘It is a tribute to the work of our staff that we have been recognised in these national awards. As a family of schools, we are proud of our achievements and are thrilled that the shortlisting panel have seen the positive impact we have had on pupil outcomes, staff development and our schools.’
Rise has grown significantly in the last couple of years, more than doubling in size. There has also been a significant improvement in pupils’ outcomes, with Rise pupils performing better than pupils nationally. The last 12 months has also seen a range of positive Ofsted and SIAMS inspections. Rise is now in a position to support other trusts, both through formal arrangements with the Department for Education and through informal approaches for support and partnership working.
Stephen Adshead, Chair of Directors, ‘It is a fantastic achievement for Rise to be nominated for this award. We are proud of what we are achieving as a family of schools. One feature of our Trust, is that we are a really strong home for small rural schools. We use our limited resources incredibly well and collaborate deeply, in areas such as curriculum, to reduce teacher workload’.
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St Peter and St Paul CE Academy, celebrates ‘Exemplary behaviour’ in maintaining ‘Good’ Ofsted rating
Tue 23 May 2023Pupils at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Academy in Syston demonstrated their ‘thirst for learning’ to Ofsted inspectors during the inspection on the 29th and 30th March.
The academy, part of Rise Multi Academy Trust, are delighted to have retained its ‘Good’ grading, with pupils’ behaviour identified as ‘exemplary’. Inspectors observed how ‘pupils truly do demonstrate the school's three values of respect, honesty and perseverance’ and how ‘leaders have ensured that there is a focus on teaching pupils how to behave’.
Welcoming the report, Claire Mulhern, Headteacher, said ‘We are very pleased that inspectors saw the many strengths of St Peter and St Paul CE Academy. They recognised our ambitious curriculum and high standard of teaching across the school. However, we are particularly proud that they have also commended the school on the opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests, including through sports and the arts, as well as the range of support provided for our pupils with special educational needs.
Report highlights included:
- Pupils at this school are polite and respectful. They show good manners as they go about their school day. They describe the school as a very positive environment. They say it is one in which they feel safe and happy.
- Teachers have very high expectations of pupils. Teachers encourage pupils to sit up, answer questions and ‘track the speaker’. This helps pupils develop good learning behaviours, which, in turn, helps them learn.
- Pupils are kind to each other and accepting. They know that derogatory language or bullying is not acceptable. Staff are sharp to deal with these rare incidents, if and when they occur.
- Pupils develop a thirst for learning. They come to school excited about the new things they will learn. There are ample opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests.
- Teachers help pupils develop to be resilient in their setbacks. As a result, pupils will often say ‘it is not I can't, but it is I can't yet'.
- The overwhelming majority of parents and carers hold positive views about their children’s experiences at the school.
Mark Cole, CEO of Rise Multi Academy Trust commented,’ We are delighted that inspectors see St Peter and St Paul’s as we do. As a family of schools, we have worked hard on our shared curriculum, and this is another inspection where Ofsted recognise the quality of this work on the outcomes of pupils’.
To read the Ofsted report in full please visit https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/139349 or to arrange a school visit please go to https://www.spspacademy.org/
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Another strong inspection outcome for Rise schools
Mon 06 Mar 2023On 31st January 2023 Ofsted visited Higham-on-the Hill CofE Primary School.
They judged that the school remains good, with the work on subject curriculums being a particular strength. Inspectors noted that there was a ‘well sequenced curriculum in all subjects’ and that ‘pupils learn well’.
Dave Ellison-Lee, Director of Education said: ‘We are delighted that the hard work of staff and leaders has been recognised. As a family of schools we have worked really hard on developing a common curriculum and it was incredibly valuable to have this work looked at through the deep dives that inspectors undertook’.
Inspectors also recognised the positive impact of trust’s ‘comprehensive program of professional development in place for all staff’.
Mark Cole, CEO said: ‘As a family of schools, we have invested significant time and energy in doing our best to develop all of our staff. Our schools are not islands and we intentionally come together often, to learn and grow as educators. We are delighted that Ofsted could see the impact of this.’
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Our Growing Family
Thu 02 Mar 2023Rise are delighted to formally welcome Loughborough CofE Primary and Snarestone CofE Primary into our growing family of schools.
Whilst we have been working in partnership for some time, the formal transfer of the schools took place on March 1st.
Mark Cole, CEO said: ‘It is a great privilege to welcome Loughborough CofE and Snarestone CofE in the Rise family of schools. Both are strong church schools, committed to serving their communities and being the best they can be.’
Tim Jewitt, Headteacher at Snarestone said: ‘We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Rise staff over the last months and are really pleased that we are now officially a Rise school. As a trust, they have a lot of expertise in supporting small rural schools improve and we have already seen the positive impact of their work with us.’
Janine Stillwell, Headteacher at Loughborough CofE said: ‘Leaders, staff and local governors are delighted to be part of Rise. As a single academy, we could feel a little isolated. However, now we have really strong support for HR, our finances and of course school improvement.’
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Rise “provides valuable support which enables pupils to thrive”, says SIAMS inspector
Wed 25 Jan 2023Pupils and staff at Croxton Kerrial CE Primary School are celebrating after receiving confirmation of their ‘Good’ rating following their recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) report.
Within their report, the inspector recognised the impact that being part of Rise Multi Academy Trust has had on this small village primary school.
The inspector noted that: “Strong, like-minded partnerships are ensuring that Christian distinctiveness is fundamental in every aspect of school life. The multi-academy trust’s (MAT) vision is rooted in the fact thatall can flourish and succeed because God is with them. This awareness of God’s profound love aligns closely to the school’s own vision statement.”
Highlighting the support provided by the Trust and senior leaders at the school, the report added that: “The MAT provides valuable support which enables pupils to thrive. This is complemented by the drive to reduce staff workload…Staff highlight how the school’s Christian vision is lived out by leaders. New members of staff quickly feel nurtured as part of the team and enthusiastically relate how everything is done in love… They give credit to the MAT for ensuring that their well-being needs are of high priority.”
Amongst their positive feedback, the inspector also found that:
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Being part of this deeply caring school community is transforming lives in the knowledge that Christian love is contact an immoveable. As a result, everyone is flourishing as they are equipped to face the challenges of an ever-changing world.
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Parents choose to send their children to this school because of its deep Christian character and sense of family. They passionately express how this genuine sense of unity and love impacts life at home...There is an intense sentiment of mutual respect and trust.
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Pupils are flourishing because the broad and balanced curriculum is grounded in inspiring a love of learning.
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Strong relationships and intuitive teaching help them to feel secure and challenge themselves.
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Relationships are strong at all levels within this vibrant school community...Attendance is good as a result of frequent interactions with families. Every pupil's circumstance is known and they are treated as an individual.
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Expressions of Christian love within this community are reciprocal. Selfless, practical actions by pupils include litter picking throughout the village [and] fundraising causes including raising funds to heat the church because they use it so much.
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Pupils respond with empathy to plights of people from around the world demonstrating deep Christian love.
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Difference and diversity are celebrated as everyone is valued and recognised as part of God's creation.
Alongside the many benefits that being part of Rise MAT brings, Croxton Kerrial CE Primary also works closely with three other local Rise schools, Redmile, Waltham-on-the-Wolds and Wymondham CE Primary Schools – sharing best practice, opportunities and resources.
Mark Cole, CEO of Rise Multi Academy Trust, said: “At the heart of our Trust is an absolute commitment to enabling our pupils, our staff and our school communities to flourish and succeed.
“Through partnership and collaboration, we can achieve incredible things together. What has been achieved at Croxton Kerrial CE Primary really is testament to this.”
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From Leicestershire to Lapland – Rise schools complete epic virtual mission to raise money for a children's hospice
Mon 19 Dec 2022Schools from across Rise Multi Academy Trust have taken part in a virtual mission to collectively run the distance from the heart of Leicestershire to the top of Lapland while raising funds for Rainbows Hospice for children and young people.
In total, over a thousand pupils and staff from across Rise’s network of schools put on their Santa hats and trainers to take part in runs around their school communities. By adding the distance that every individual completed together, they collectively ran over 2200 miles.
Mark Cole, CEO of Rise, said: “This was an epic mission on every level, and our children and colleagues should be applauded for the spirit that they entered into this challenge.
“Most of all though, this showed our children what can be achieved when we work together. Individually their efforts are impressive, but when all of these efforts are combined the outcome is something special.”
Each school logged the distance that children and staff at their schools covered, and this was then added to a virtual route that went to the south of England, through northern France, across Netherlands, into Germany then up through Denmark and Sweden. They then crossed into Finland before reaching the home of Santa himself..
Schools could log on to the virtual tracker to monitor their collective progress – and get a quick geography lesson at the same time.
Mr Cole added: "Our motto as a Trust is to “flourish and succeed” and our children not only achieved their goal but also loved working together. This was such an important team effort for such an important cause.
It is expected that up to £4000 will be raised for the hospice as a result of their efforts.
Gary Farnfield, Rainbows Community Fundraiser, praised Rise and its schools for their efforts to raise funds for Rainbows.
"We are delighted that Rise's schools have completed the Leicestershire to Lapland challenge! How they have worked together to support our vital work has been heartening and really brings home the spirit of the festive season.”
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Inspectors praise Rise partnership during church school inspection
Fri 16 Dec 2022Following a recent visit to Viscount Beaumont’s CofE Primary School, a church school inspector has praised the significant impact of joining Rise Multi Academy Trust.
Within their Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) report, the school was graded ‘Good’ across all areas. The inspector found that “The new MAT partnership is marked by principle, generosity and grace. This like-minded relationship is ensuring that everyone continues to flourish within this remarkable school family.”
The report continued: “Governors have made bold decisions regarding the future of the school and which multi academy trust (MAT) to join. The association formed has proved to be invaluable.”
Regarding the impact of the implementation of Rise’s MAT curriculum at the school, the inspector also stated that “The broad and ambitious MAT curriculum allows the school to maintain its individuality and distinctiveness.”
In addition, it was noted that: “Staff networks facilitate joint planning and valuable sharing opportunities. These contribute to vision-shaped classroom experiences where all pupils are enabled to achieve…Everyone speaks very positively of how much the affiliation is benefiting them personally, such as by reducing staff workload.”
After a period of support and collaboration, Viscount Beaumont’s CofE Primary School officially joined Rise Multi Academy Trust in June 2022.
Jo Westaby, Executive Headteacher at Viscount Beaumont’s CofE Primary School, said: “Joining Rise Multi Academy Trust was a real turning point for our school.
“As a small village primary school, being part of a Trust that shares our Christian ethos and values is really special. We benefit from so much support and guidance that makes a real difference for our children.”
Other highlights from the report include:
- Viscount Beaumont’s Church of England Primary School has a clear and cohesive Christian vision, where everyone is celebrated and welcomed in an atmosphere of innate Christian love.
- The MAT vision of ‘enabling children to flourish and succeed’ complements the school’s Christian legacy…The unique nature of Viscount Beaumont’s vision has been maintained whilst appreciating the advantages of being part of a wider school family.
- All pupils are flourishing because they are each seen as being unique individuals known fully by each member of staff in school. All are nurtured and recognise they can be listened to in a culture of mutual respect and gentleness, reflecting the vision.
- Vulnerable pupils thrive as a result of subtle, targeted support, empowering trust and a sense of security.
- Older pupils care for younger pupils and friendships are fostered which continue even when they leave the school.
Mark Cole, CEO of Rise Multi Academy Trust, said: “Our Christian values underpin all that we do across our Trust, so I am delighted that the SIAMS inspection found the clear impact our strong Trust partnership is having on this school community.
“Through our shared sense of purpose and collaboration, together we are enabling our pupils to flourish and succeed throughout their lives.”