Utopia School is a nurturing specialist setting committed to helping every young person feel safe enough to learn, grow, and thrive. Many of our students face barriers linked to anxiety, emotional regulation, past trauma, and disrupted educational journeys. Movement has always been a strength of the school, but staff recognised an opportunity to embed a deeper, more intentional approach to physical activity, wellbeing routines, and trauma-informed practice. By partnering with

There are moments when something cuts through the constant noise of education. Not a policy update or a new framework, but a story that stays with you and quietly reshapes how you see the world. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I curled up on the sofa to watch a film that had been recommended to me just before our Future of PE East Anglia Conference. Ben Holden from Wanna Teach PE mentioned it almost in passing and said it was right up my street. He wasn’t wrong. The film w

Celebrating the educators, leaders and partners transforming children’s mental wellbeing and life chances TL;DR • A celebration of the Global RISE Up community • Welcoming new schools, educators and partners • Spotlight on outstanding practice at Winston Churchill School and Greenside Primary • Welcoming Paul Collin to the Future Action team • How to connect with the RISE Up community One of the greatest privileges of our work is the brilliant people we get to meet along the

Why Feel • Connect • Move • Think helps departments respond to the curriculum review There’s a shift happening in Physical Education, and PE departments are already responding to it. It’s not about scrapping schemes of work or chasing the next framework. It’s a quieter, more honest change, one that’s asking PE departments to look carefully at who PE currently works for… and who it doesn’t . The emerging PE curriculum review is pointing us in a clear direction: Core PE must re

Interim Impact Highlights | February–November 2025 In under one academic year, schools across the Wirral are seeing measurable improvements in children’s wellbeing, behaviour and readiness to learn , driven by relationships, movement and trauma-informed practice . Since February 2025, the Wirral RISE Up programme  has partnered with 13 schools  across the borough to embed approaches that help children feel safe enough to regulate, connect and thrive . Funded and supported by

Welcome back. We hope you had a great Christmas and were able to spend some quality time with family, friends, and the people who help you feel like you. As you step back into school this week, you might be feeling excited and ready to go. You might also be feeling tired, unsure, or even a little heavy about what lies ahead. Both are completely normal. Education is going through a period of significant change. Across England, there’s a clear shift towards more holistic, incl

TL;DR • Gratitude for our global RISE Up community • A year of connection, collaboration & growth • A wonderful week with Wanna Teach PE, Bohunt Worthing & amazing educators • Thank you to our partners • The growing RISE Up community • January 2026 dates for your diary • RISE Up 2026 Whole-School Wellbeing Package of Support Hello, we hope this blog finds you well. As schools begin to wind down for the Christmas holidays, this is our final blog of the year, and it’s simply a

Artificial intelligence won’t replace teachers — but it will  challenge everything we believe about learning, purpose, and what it means to grow up human. AI is accelerating fast. And while it brings exciting possibilities, it also raises profound questions for PE and wellbeing — the parts of school life where movement, belonging and relationships are central. How do we prepare children for a digital future without losing the human heartbeat of education? How do we protect co

After two brilliant weeks travelling across Singapore, Malaysia and Australia , I’m heading home feeling energised, inspired, and hugely grateful. Everywhere we went, Richard Stockings and I met educators who care deeply about helping young people feel safe, confident, and able to perform under pressure — in sport, in school, and beyond. This trip felt like a real step forward in the global RISE Up movement. Each stop brought its own stories, reflections and momentum — and to

Inclusion has become the new buzzword in PE. Government announcements and new inspection frameworks have put it front and centre for every PE leader. But beneath the policy talk sits a deeper question: How do we actually make PE inclusive — not just on paper, but in lived experience? And where does Trauma-Informed PE fit into that? Look closely, and a clearer picture emerges — one that leaves many teachers thinking: “Yes… Trauma-Informed PE is the ultimate inclusion strategy

Winston Churchill School in Woking is a large, inclusive secondary school that prides itself on providing a broad and enriching PE experience for all students. As part of the Surrey RISE Up programme in partnership with Active Surrey, the school has been on a journey to transform girls’ engagement in PE and use movement as a powerful tool for belonging, wellbeing, and achievement for all their young people. Amy Kovic, Director of Sport, has led this journey with energy, creat

At 8:15 each morning, as the doors open at Framingham Earl High School, groups of Year 9 students begin their day with yoga, skipping, and circuit training. Laughter and movement fill the corridors — a sign that wellbeing isn’t an add-on here, it’s part of the school’s rhythm. Framingham Earl High School is a vibrant, inclusive school in Norfolk with a growing commitment to student wellbeing.  It is part of the Sapientia Trust. Brilliant Ben Player, Director of PE and School

Welcome back, hero educators. We hope you’ve had time to rest, reset, and return to homeostasis  after a well-earned half-term break. This half term, the RISE Up movement is going global — partnering with brilliant colleagues across Devon, Birmingham, the Wirral, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Surrey, and Norfolk . Together, we’ll be helping young people feel safe enough to move, connected to others, and confident to thrive. ⚡ Quick Round-Up (TL;DR) Here’s what’s new and c

By Richard Stockings, International Consultant for Future Action, former Vice Principal for Wellbeing at Alice Smith School, Malaysia and former Director Of Wellbeing At the British International School Phuket, Thailand. Wherever young people go to school in the world, the focus on performance in sport is growing. Schools are investing heavily in coaching, fitness, and strategy, but one area consistently lags behind: the mental health and value-based mindset that allow stude

Meadowside School, based on the Wirral, is a specialist setting supporting secondary-aged students with a wide range of additional needs, including moderate, severe, and complex learning difficulties. Many pupils require tailored support to engage fully in school life. The staff are deeply committed to creating opportunities for belonging, confidence, and wellbeing. Since joining the Wirral RISE Up programme , Meadowside School has embraced the initiative as a way of strength

Across classrooms and playgrounds today, teachers are seeing the same crisis unfold. More young people are arriving in school feeling...

Since October 2024, it’s been a real privilege to partner alongside Michael Ellis, the driving force behind the RISE Up programme at...

Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) are the everyday moments that help children feel safe, supported, and connected. These might be as...

Inclusion is the word of the moment — but how do we make it real for every child, every day? The National Context Right now, inclusion is...

In my role as Director of Sport, Health and RSHE in an inner-city school, I saw first-hand how trauma, adversity and lack of early...