Reporting year 2025

Schools eligible for RISE intervention

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Introduction

This publication presents data on numbers and types of schools that the DfE considers to be potentially eligible for improvement intervention on the basis of their Ofsted inspections. It considers for how long such schools’ Ofsted results demonstrate underperformance (to date) and which are being targeted for policy intervention from RISE (Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence) advisers and teams.

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Headline facts and figures - 2025

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'Stuck’ schools

A ‘stuck’ school is a state-funded school that was graded Requires Improvement – or equivalent – at its most recent Ofsted inspection and was also graded below Good at its previous Ofsted inspection.

Where inspections have been completed subsequent to the removal of single headline grades in September 2024 (and in the interim before report cards are introduced), for the definition of stuck schools we treat a sub-judgement of Requires Improvement for leadership and management and/or quality of education for a school inspected in 2024/25 academic year as equivalent to a previous single headline grade of Requires Improvement.

Criteria to identify stuck schools will be confirmed in advance of Ofsted school report cards being implemented.

At 28 February 2025 (Ofsted management information on state-funded school inspections and outcomes (opens in a new tab)), there were 657 stuck schools and 312,000 pupils in those schools.

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Stuck schools and eligibility for RISE targeted intervention

Schools that are stuck are eligible for targeted RISE intervention if they are still with the same responsible body as at the time of their most recent inspection.

145 mainstream academies that were stuck at 28 February 2025 have been inspected at least twice as academies (although not all with the same responsible body – some may have moved from one academy trust to another). ‘Mainstream’ includes converter academies, sponsored academies and free schools. Special and alternative provision schools are not included.

In addition to the stuck schools there are 47 mainstream academies in a ‘category of concern’ (that is, they have been assessed by Ofsted as being in special measures or having serious weaknesses) and which have been inspected at least once as academies. These academies are also eligible for targeted RISE intervention whereas, in the case of local authority maintained schools, there is a statutory duty on the Secretary of State to issue academy orders to maintained schools in a ‘category of concern’.

Together, the 145 stuck mainstream academies and the 47 mainstream academies in a category of concern cover almost 140,000 pupils.

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Length of time that schools have been graded below Good

On average, as at 28 February 2025, the 657 stuck schools were graded by Ofsted as below Good or equivalent for 5.6 years.

On average, as at 28 February 2025, the 217 schools that will be in receipt of targeted RISE intervention from the RISE advisers and teams, were graded by Ofsted as below Good or equivalent for 6.6 years. Of these, 42 were below Good for more than 11 years. 

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Methodology

These data were derived by using consecutive publications from Ofsted management information on state-funded school inspections and outcomes (opens in a new tab). Schools are matched on their unique reference numbers (URN) to create a history of inspection outcomes.

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Methodology

Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.

Ad hoc official statistics

Ad hoc official statistics are one off publications that have been produced as far as possible in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

This can be broadly interpreted to mean that these statistics are:

  • managed impartially and objectively in the public interest
  • meet identified user needs
  • produced according to sound methods
  • well explained and readily accessible

Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance.

Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Schools eligible for RISE intervention statistics and data:

Regions Group Data and Analysis Unit

Email: dau.businessoperations@education.gov.uk
Contact name: James Micklefield

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