RISE Education Review 2026: Small cohort, therapeutic focus, Good Ofsted outcome

RISE Education is an independent school in Merton with a deliberately small cohort and a strong emphasis on re-engaging young people who have struggled to thrive in mainstream settings. The most recent Ofsted standard inspection (19 to 22 November 2024) judged the school Good overall, with Good grades for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, and it confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

This is not a large, broad-curriculum secondary with multiple classes per year group. It is a specialist setting that prioritises relationships, therapeutic support, and confidence-building alongside qualifications. The published school day runs from 9.15am to 2.45pm, which will matter for working families and transport planning.

The defining feature here is the calmness that comes from scale and structure. External review evidence describes pupils arriving with negative experiences of education and then shifting their attitudes once routines, relationships, and consistent adult support are in place. Pupils are supported to feel safe, accepted, and treated fairly, and expectations are clear rather than negotiable.

A second thread is how the school frames special educational needs and/or disabilities. The language used in official reporting points to staff recognising needs as part of pupils’ identity and working from strengths, rather than positioning pupils as problems to be managed. That approach tends to translate into fewer power struggles and more purposeful lesson time, particularly for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Leadership stability matters in a small setting. The current headteacher is Dionne Jude, and the most recent Ofsted report records that the headteacher was appointed in September 2024.

Performance data should be read in context. This is a specialist provision with small cohorts and an intake shaped by Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), so headline exam measures may not track like a mainstream comprehensive.

In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 4,432nd in England and 14th in Merton, placing it below England average on this measure.

The GCSE metrics available include:

• Average Attainment 8 score: 2.0, compared with the dataset’s England average of 0.459.

• Average EBacc APS score: 0.11, compared with the dataset’s England average of 4.08.

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc: 0%.

There is no A-level outcomes dataset for the school in the provided file, and it is sensible to treat GCSE and functional skills pathways as the core academic offer for most students.

Curriculum ambition shows up in two ways: breadth and relevance. Official reporting indicates pupils study a wide range of subjects and are supported to apply learning to real-life contexts and experiences, which is often a turning point for pupils who have disengaged from traditional classroom learning.

Teaching is described as being built on careful checks of starting points, deliberate revisiting of prior learning, and explicit attention to vocabulary, all of which tends to suit pupils who need security and repetition to make knowledge stick. Reading is a stated priority, with structured support for reluctant readers to build fluency and confidence.

A distinctive feature is the use of technology and external partnerships to broaden experiences. The most recent inspection references interactive computing programmes and virtual reality equipment, linked to coding, game-building, and robotics type activities.

Where the school is still developing is consistency. External evaluation notes that, at times, pupils are not given the best opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do, which can limit independent application of skills.

Because cohorts are small and post-16 destination statistics are not provided in the supplied dataset, it is best to treat progression as personalised rather than pipeline-driven.

Careers education is clearly embedded. Pupils are supported to write CVs, complete applications, and prepare for interviews, and this is positioned as practical preparation for employment or further education.

School communications also reference structured exposure to next-step options, including a visit for some Year 11 students to a local college to build familiarity with post-16 environments.

Admissions are primarily aligned to EHCP consultation and local authority decision-making, not open-market independent admissions.

The school’s admissions information describes a referral process following the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice. Local authorities consult the school, senior staff review the referral, observation in the current setting may be used, and the final placement decision sits with the relevant borough SEND panel. Open morning style visits are described as appointment-based.

For families exploring mainstream Year 7 entry timelines in Merton for September 2026, the local authority’s published secondary admissions timeline shows applications opening 1 September 2025 and closing 31 October 2025, with on-time applications sometimes accepted up to 8 December 2025 in specific circumstances. This is not a substitute for SEND processes, but it helps families understand the wider local calendar.

Personal development is treated as central rather than a bolt-on. External reporting emphasises therapeutic support and structured work on emotional wellbeing, including helping pupils articulate feelings and develop resilience, which is often the core prerequisite for academic progress in a specialist setting.

Behaviour is framed as consistent and proactive. Reporting points to staff being vigilant and stepping in early to de-escalate situations, with an orderly atmosphere in classrooms and around the setting.

Safeguarding arrangements are reported as effective.

Extracurricular provision in a small specialist school often looks different from large-school club timetables, and the evidence here points to targeted, confidence-building activities rather than a long menu of options.

A published curriculum policy describes specific clubs and activities including Table Tennis Club, Spanish Language Club, Pool Club, an after-school Debate Club, and after-school Arts and Crafts.

Student-facing enrichment also appears to lean into practical and creative routes. A school newsletter references music work involving studio-style activity and external input, and it also describes off-site physical activity sessions that include boxing, gym training, and football.

For families comparing specialist options, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools can be useful for sense-checking nearby mainstream outcomes, while keeping in mind that specialist cohorts are not like-for-like with large schools.

RISE Education is listed as an independent school, but it does not present a standard published 2025 to 2026 parent fee schedule in the sources reviewed for this write-up. In practice, placements described as primarily routed through EHCP referrals are often funded or commissioned via local authorities, and costs can depend on the package required.

For financial assistance, the Independent Schools Council listing for the school states no scholarships or bursaries.

The published school day runs 9.15am to 2.45pm.

Term dates are published for September 2025 to July 2026, including INSET days and half-term windows, which helps families plan around therapies, transport, and work arrangements.

Wraparound care arrangements are not presented as a standard feature of this type of specialist setting; families should check directly what, if any, supervised provision exists outside core hours.

• This is specialist rather than mainstream. Admissions information focuses on EHCP consultation and SEND panel decisions, so families seeking a conventional independent admissions route may find this is not the right model.

• Academic measures look weak on standard metrics. The FindMySchool dataset places the school low in England for GCSE outcomes, which may reflect cohort profile and pathway mix, but it is still a real consideration for families prioritising exam-heavy routes.

• The day is shorter than many secondaries. A 9.15am to 2.45pm day can be helpful for some pupils, but it can be challenging for working-family logistics.

• Consistency is a known improvement area. External evaluation points to pockets of inconsistency in how learning is checked and evidenced, which matters for pupils who need predictable routines to progress.

RISE Education suits families seeking a small, specialist setting where therapeutic support, behaviour stability, and re-engagement are prioritised alongside qualification pathways. It is best suited to pupils whose needs and history mean mainstream schooling has not worked, and where an EHCP-led route is realistic. For families primarily focused on conventional exam performance metrics and broad sixth form progression, this is less likely to be the right fit.