Academic signals
From Schools Like Yours
Here’s what we’re seeing in practice this January:
Restrictive interventions and what that means for your school.
SEND or wellbeing prioritised, how and why to ensure you are able to meet increasing needs.
One year group or cohort chosen, prioritising funding needs and how to access what matters.
Why you should prepare early - chances of strikes by workers in 2026
This isn’t caution.
It’s strategic restraint.
If you’re doing less this term, you’re likely doing it right.
The LocaeRise Match Network
What’s moving across schools right now
This month, more schools will be quietly doing one important thing: claiming their profile, so support can come to them, not the other way around. Here are three will be helping claim and state their OBC on LocaeRise Match:
Primary School, Greater Manchester
Focused on SEND consistency after the mocks highlighted uneven classroom support. Help them create a OBC to prioritise this term is not a new programme it’s alignment across staff.
Primary School, West London
Using data to reassess Year 5 wellbeing and attendance. Rather than launching interventions, they’re tightening support around one cohort before Easter.
MAT Primary, South East
Helping them after their profile, is claimed: our OBC™ efforts will be to help them to explore staff wellbeing support without adding CPD days. Their One Big Change is reducing pressure, not adding content.
LocaeRise Events
We’re hosting and contributing to spaces where school leaders can listen, share, and step back without being sold to.
Upcoming conversations include:
Wellbeing after the mocks
SEND pathways that actually stick
What leaders wish vendors understood
Got someone to recommend to the webinar?
Tools We Recommend
For clarity, not complexity
Image of Clara - how you can ask simple questions to get clarity
For this first edition, we’re highlighting Clara.
Clara helps schools do one thing well: identify their One Big Change™.
Schools are using Clara to:
surface where pressure is really sitting
test priorities before taking them to SLT or governors
sense-check whether something needs action now or later
It’s not about answers.
It’s about asking better questions earlier.
Get Assistance in naming your one priority to focus on:
In case you missed it
If January feels busy, these are worth ten minutes:
Webinar: Staffroom Stories with Mark Taylor
Blog: When Good Initiatives Stall
How clarity not effort unlocks momentumLinkedIn: What schools are quietly stopping this term
(And why that’s not failure)
Top Reads (External)
Shaping conversations this term
A few pieces school leaders are referencing right now:
Ofsted commentary on SEND consistency
DfE signals on attendance as a system issue
MAT reflections on staff capacity as a strategic constraint
LocaeRise News
What we’re building toward
Across our conversations, one thing is clear:
Schools don’t need more options.
They need access to the right support, faster and on their terms.
That’s why we’re building LocaeRise Match:
to help schools clarify priorities
reduce funding fatigue
and connect with trusted organisations aligned to their One Big Change™
If you haven’t already, you can quietly:
That’s it for January.
We’ll keep sharing what we’re seeing not loudly, not urgently, but usefully.
Change moves fast in schools. Handling it well is the work.
With you this term,
Yvonne
Founder, LocaeRise
LocaeShift: Change, handled well.
P.S. If you were at BETT, you probably saw us with ACCESS: PENDING hoodies.
We’re asking one question only: What’s your One Big Change before Easter?
You can also explore early access here → ww.bett2026.locaerisematch.com