Right to Succeed supports English hubs as they expand into secondary schools
by Educate Magazine May 5, 2026 · Secondary School News
Place-based charity Right to Succeed has partnered with two English hubs in Greater Manchester to support the expansion of their literacy excellence programmes from primary into secondary schools.
The partnership follows a recent announcement from the Department for Education (DfE). The DfE plans to expand its English hubs programme into the secondary school sector from September 2026. The programme was originally established to boost phonics teaching, early language development and reading for pleasure in primary schools.
The roll out also coincides with government plans to introduce a mandatory Year 8 reading test. The DfE claim this test will ensure no student falls behind as they progress through Key Stage 3.
Building strong local partnerships with secondary schools
Right to Succeed has been working with two of the 34 English hubs across the country. These are Arch English Hub in Rochdale and the Lacey Green English Hub in Tameside. The work focuses on building stronger relationships with local secondary schools.
The charity is also supporting the recruitment of Secondary Literacy Specialists for the hubs. They will lead CPD sessions for secondary schools across the boroughs.
Evidence-based training to support transition and reading fluency
As a result, Arch English Hub recently led training for 18 secondary schools in Rochdale and Tameside. The training focused on improving reading fluency across the transition from primary to secondary school. It featured practical, evidence-based approaches.
Josh Callaghan, hub lead at the Arch English Hub, who delivered the training, said:
“Expanding our literacy programmes into secondary schools is the natural next step, but it requires a deep understanding of the secondary landscape.
“Partnering with Right to Succeed allows us to bridge the gap between our primary-focused expertise and what is required for this secondary school rollout, which we hope will be adopted in a borough-wide approach to literacy.”
Emily Humphrey, school improvement officer at Rochdale Local Authority, added:
“In Rochdale, we are committed to ensuring every child has the literacy skills they need to thrive.
“The English Hub has had a transformative impact on our primary settings. We are now embracing collaboration between the English Hub and Right to Succeed to further enhance the transition from primary to secondary for our learners, ensuring that successful strategies used in primary are effectively adapted for older students.”
A long-term commitment to literacy across Greater Manchester
Right to Succeed also delivers Cradle to Career literacy programmes across the Liverpool City Regio. It has been funding and delivering literacy and inclusion programmes in Rochdale and Tameside since 2023.
It currently works with all secondary schools in Rochdale. This includes special schools and referral units, as well as a third of the borough’s primary schools.
In Tameside, Right to Succeed funds literacy programmes in all but one secondary school. It is currently rolling out funded literacy programmes to primary schools in the area.
Suzanne Hibbert, Greater Manchester programme director at Right to Succeed, explained:
“Our mission is to ensure that every young person has the support they need to succeed, regardless of their background. Literacy is the foundation of that success.
“By supporting this handover with the English hubs, we can continue to empower teachers with the specialist tools they need to support their pupils after the Right to Succeed programme has completed. It’s about working collaboratively with other organisations to build a sustainable model for literacy that will benefit Greater Manchester for years to come.”
For more information on Right to Succeed’s Greater Manchester programmes, visit: https://www.righttosucceed.org.uk/literacy-and-inclusion
