RAISE Parent Frequently Asked Questions
What is RAISE?
RAISE stands for Raising Achievement, Inspiring Student Excellence. It is a structured, school wide approach where teachers work collaboratively to review student learning and assessment data, reflect on what is working, and plan targeted next steps. The focus of RAISE is to improve teaching practices so that all students are supported to achieve their best possible outcomes.
RAISE provides dedicated time for teachers to scan and assess student learning, align teaching with assessment, and differentiate tasks to meet student needs.
What does RAISE look like in practice?
During RAISE time, teaching teams follow a clear cycle that includes:
Scanning and assessing student work using common marking guides
Prioritising student needs based on evidence
Developing a targeted plan to support learning
Acting on the plan through classroom practice
Monitoring and reviewing progress over time
This cycle ensures teaching decisions are intentional, consistent, and based on evidence rather than assumptions.
What is RAISE not?
RAISE time is not used for traditional teacher planning tasks such as:
Planning units
Writing assessments
Marking or moderating work
Planning co curricular activities.
The focus remains firmly on improving learning outcomes through reflection, collaboration, and evidence based planning.
How does RAISE benefit my child?
RAISE ensures that your child’s learning is carefully monitored and actively responded to. Teachers identify what students already know, what they need to learn next, and how best to support them. Students who are achieving highly are challenged further, while students who need additional support are identified early and given targeted assistance.
This leads to clearer expectations, more consistent marking, and learning tasks that better match each student’s current level of achievement.
How does RAISE improve consistency across classes?
During RAISE meetings, teachers work together to ensure they are interpreting marking guides and assessment criteria in the same way. This alignment means students are assessed against the same expectations regardless of class or teacher, leading to fairer and more consistent grading across the school.
Who is involved in RAISE?
All teachers are involved in RAISE. Teaching teams work collaboratively, with rotating roles such as chair, timekeeper, and minute taker to ensure meetings are focused and productive.
Heads of Department and school leaders support the process by visiting teams, providing guidance, ensuring quality control, and supporting best practice teaching strategies.
Why did the Tuesday timetable change?
The Tuesday timetable was adjusted to provide protected time for RAISE to occur consistently. This ensures teachers can focus on reviewing student learning, aligning assessment practices, and planning targeted improvements without impacting classroom teaching time. This investment supports stronger teaching practice and, therefore, stronger learning outcomes for students.
How will parents see the impact of RAISE?
Over time, parents may notice:
Clearer and more consistent feedback on assessments
Greater alignment in grading across classes
Learning tasks that better match student ability
Improved confidence, engagement, and progress
RAISE focuses on sustained improvement, so the impact is seen through steady academic growth and clearer communication about student progress.