The government has unveiled further details about its new behaviour and attendance hubs, outlining how schools will access either regional or enhanced support as part of the merged system. In total, 90 hubs will operate across England, with 57 already open. The scheme has enlisted former behaviour adviser Tom Bennett and former headteacher Jayne Lowe as ambassadors. Its purpose is to enable schools that demonstrate effective practice to share their approaches with peers in their area.
Under the plan, regional support will be available to the majority of schools that prefer light-touch assistance, while a smaller group—500 settings facing notable behaviour and attendance challenges—will receive intensive, targeted help. A new guidance document notes that partner schools on the regional pathway will access a structured CPD (continuous professional development) offer focused on attendance and behaviour. They will also have opportunities to visit lead schools during open day events each term and to discuss and exchange best practices with other schools in their hub.
For those on the enhanced pathway, eligible partner schools will receive up to 10 days of leadership support spread over three terms from their assigned lead school. This support includes completing an attendance and behaviour self-assessment, conducting surveys of students and staff to establish a baseline, and a full-day collaborative session to diagnose the partner school’s attendance and behaviour issues. The outcome is the development and implementation of an improvement plan, supported by training and guidance from the lead school.
The 500 targeted schools for intensive support have not yet been chosen. As part of the reshaped scheme, these behaviour and attendance hubs are being merged and backed by £1.5 million in funding, a significantly smaller investment than the budgets of the schemes they replace. Applications are open for schools wishing to join as partner hubs. A list of the announced hubs can be found in recent coverage, with additional updates available on related government briefings and coverage.
