Dozens of struggling schools enrolled in a 拢20 million turnaround scheme have been paired with experts based up to 269 miles away. Schools Week analysis found around one in 10 schools in the government鈥檚 Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme have been paired with advisers based in different parts of the country. The findings have sparked concerns that the support provided through the flagship school improvement scheme risks becoming 鈥渁 desktop exercise with a Zoom call鈥. The 鈥渢argeted RISE鈥 scheme was launched last year and Its 65-strong team of advisers 鈥 leaders seconded to work alongside officials 鈥 are appointed to specific schools, usually in their region, to identify priorities and propose an outside organisation to provide support. The programme is focused on 鈥榮tuck鈥 schools, those rated 鈥榬equires improvement鈥 by Ofsted following an earlier inspection that resulted in a grade below 鈥榞ood鈥. Schools Week analysis of Department for Education data, obtained through the freedom of information act, shows that of the nearly 430 schools enrolled in the RISE intervention programme, 46 have been matched with an adviser outside their region. Twelve of the 46 are more than 100 miles from their RISE adviser鈥檚 school or central team offices, our figures suggest. Three are over 200 miles away. St Chad’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Manchester (269 miles) is the furthest from its adviser. It is over four hours away by car, according to Google. 鈥楧esktop exercise with a Zoom call鈥 Sir David Carter, the former national schools commissioner, noted that 鈥渨here distance is an issue the support becomes a desktop exercise with a Zoom call to present the challenge鈥. He added: 鈥淲hilst the role may be a diagnostic one, I fail to see how you can build the confidence of the leaders and governors at the school being supported if you cannot get a glimpse of the culture and the daily typicality of how the school works.鈥 Our analysis shows 19 advisers are working with schools in a different region. Four of those advisers are based in London. London has the most advisers (nine) and the fewest RISE schools (11). Policy expert Loic Menzies argued the 鈥渆ducation system has long suffered from geographic disparities in improvement capacity鈥. He said 鈥渙ne of the biggest tests for RISE鈥 would be its 鈥渁bility to work with trusts to nurture expertise and capacity in every corner of the country鈥. Department for Education guidance says targeted support 鈥渨ill be bespoke and tailored to the specific challenges facing each school鈥. ‘A national team framework’ Loic Menzies RISE teams will coordinate with leaders to 鈥渁rrange interventions from a high-quality organisation, such as a strong local trust and will have access to funding to facilitate improvement activities鈥. The divisions will monitor progress termly. And speaking last year, the then director of regions group John Edwards said RISE would draw on capacity 鈥渢hrough a national team framework to make sure we can achieve the most locally, to improve those schools who need it most鈥. Oliver Burwood, chief executive of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, said that a 鈥渇resh perspective from outside your region may not be a bad thing. But what you do probably need is a knowledge of feasible, quality local providers. 鈥淚f you do not know who those organisations are, are you in danger of suggesting people who may be contextually very different?鈥 Timing, travel and knowledge difficult A of the RISE targeted support service, focusing on the first 223 stuck schools given help, merely identified 鈥渁 few cases鈥 where advisers were matched with schools outside their geographic patches. It accepted this made 鈥渕ade timing, travel and aspects of contextual knowledge more difficult鈥. One adviser didn鈥檛 鈥渒now anything about the two trusts鈥 as they were in a different county, and found it 鈥渞eally hard鈥 to know whether their suggestions were right. The adviser was left 鈥渉oping the DfE and their regional teams know that a little bit better鈥. Victorious Academies Trust said the support one of its schools, Wild Bank Primary in Tameside, Greater Manchester, receives has been 鈥渧ery positive鈥. Its adviser, Inspire Partnership CEO Rob Carpenter, is based over 200 miles away in London. Despite this, he has 鈥渁lways鈥 travelled to the school in person and 鈥渁rrives early in the morning, ensuring we have ample time for meaningful discussion and guidance鈥, Victorious said, adding: 鈥淗is commitment has meant that the physical distance has never been a barrier.鈥 鈥楴ot meant to answer everything鈥 One adviser, who did not want to be named, argued the distance of some advisers from the schools was 鈥渘ot a big issue鈥. They reasoned advisers are not meant to be the 鈥渁nswer to everything and working in isolation鈥 as they simply provide recommendations to civil servants in the regional teams. The RISE evaluation said the early evidence suggests 鈥渢argeted intervention was broadly successful in terms of engaging schools and partners鈥, with a 鈥渞ange of lessons鈥 learned during its full academic term. A DfE spokesperson said the advisers 鈥渁re among the most skilled school improvement professionals in the country鈥, adding the department鈥檚 staff 鈥渄eliberately draw on expertise from across England to ensure the best possible match鈥. 鈥淪preading advisers geographically means schools benefit from a breadth of experience and fresh perspectives, rather than being limited to their local area,鈥 the spokesperson added. The evaluation report found that 鈥渁 few supporting organisations raised the issue of distance鈥. Data on partner organisations patchy In one case, a trust chief executive said they had been asked to work with a school that was 鈥渕ore than a two hours’ drive away鈥. They subsequently decided 鈥渢hey would not be able to adequately support this school鈥. Other supporting organisations said a one-hour journey 鈥渨as the maximum鈥. One adviser told of how one of their schools 鈥渨as based across a regional boundary, where there was a complex, competitive relationship between trusts鈥. This precluded 鈥渢he selection of the ideal match鈥 as other MATs in the area would 鈥渒ick off鈥. As part of the programme, advisers can pair schools with supporting organisations, usually academy trusts. However, government data on where trusts are based is patchy. It also does not stipulate whether chains operate across a number of areas. A trust chief executive, who asked to remain anonymous, added: 鈥淪chool improvement is most effective when it understands local context 鈥 communities, labour markets, and the challenges schools face in different parts of the country. 鈥淟ondon clearly has a deep pool of experienced system leaders, but the success of RISE will depend on drawing on expertise from across the country so that support feels credible and rooted in place rather than centrally directed.鈥