Saturday, 18 June 2016

Thinking about... improving the quality of teaching and learning


Whole school responsibility for teaching and learning is, in my opinion, the most important role within any school. Recently I have been thinking about how schools can best improve the quality of teaching and learning. Just like Peter Drucker suggests; I am focusing more on developing a culture where teachers can thrive rather than on any one particular strategy.



Investing in our teachers is key, it they who we rely on to continually drive our schools forward. As Ken Robinson suggests ‘there is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools’. It is concerning that research, conducted in recent years, has indicated that in school variation is wider than between school variations. This was recognised by the National College who stated that; if in each school in England, the least effective teachers and departments were as effective as the best in that school – NOT the best in the region or country, JUST the best in that school – then outcomes for pupils overall would be transformed. With this in mind it is hoped that the following vision can be one that we all share for the teaching profession.

‘Imagine a school in which you taught better simply by virtue of teaching in that school – what would such a school be like?’ (Judith Warren Little)

This quote is on the wall in my office; it keeps me focused on what really matters. It informs any decisions I make in relation to school improvement; it reminds me that culture is more important than any one strategy. I aim to create a culture whereby the teachers get better simply as a result of teaching in my school. That is the vision.

What would such a school be like? Would it be one where the development of teachers follows the following CPD characteristics?
       Top down approach
       Theoretical
       Isolation
       One of Training event or activity
       Delivered beyond the school

NO, it wouldn’t! It is more likely to to be one were teachers’ development is based on the following Joint Practice Development (JPD) characteristics?
ü  Bottom up approach
ü  Theoretical and practical
ü  Collaboration
ü  Ongoing
ü  Happens within the school

I must admit, as I write this I am unsure how to label professional development. Should I call it Joint Practice Development or Joint Professional Learning? To be honest, I dont think it really matters. As long as we understand that as a school and a teaching profession, we need to move away from the traditional characteristics of what is known as CPD. Pete Cole, in his paper ‘Professional Development; a great way to avoid change’, outlines ten ‘contentions’ that challenges what schools consider as professional development. He claims that much of what is classed as professional development, actually, develops no one. Schools need to broaden their understanding of what drives teacher improvement and what has the greatest impact on pupil learning.

Despite what we label the development of our teachers as, I would like to emphasise the word ‘joint’. Joint practice is more than just increasing collaboration between teachers; it is, having your head up and looking at your staff and giving them more freedom to develop their own practice and make a contribution to the school. It is, having your head up and looking for the research that can inform teaching practice. It is, having your head up and looking at other schools and education systems across the world and identifying what works, why it works and considering how we can apply this to our own context. Most importantly having your head up means exposing yourself, having a growth mindset approach where our teachers engage in meaningful conversations about their practice and school development.

Does the development of your teachers resemble that of an ostrich, with its head in the sand or is it more like a meerkat, with its head up in order to gain a broader understanding of what drives teacher and school improvement?

I know I will take on the characteristics of a meerkat in the pursuit of our vision for T&L; to create a school where by the teachers get better as a result of just teaching at our school. To help realise this vision I will focus on three overlapping principles; our morals, our social structures and our knowledge.  



Our ethos is that no one person has all the answers. Teachers, at every level, have a part to play in the development of teaching and learning through a bottom up approach. A culture of professional learning cannot occur with a top down approach, otherwise professional development feels ‘done to’ and teachers become un-responsive. We will expect staff to engage in professional learning and to take collective ownership where by the school presents challenges and the staff consider the best way in moving forward.

We aim to establish an ‘open door policy’ by giving teachers the freedom to identify their own needs, feel safe to take risks and by eradicating the fear of failure. Having an ‘open door policy’ is not just about teachers being happy for a colleague to walk into one of their lessons. If it exists, openness and transparency should be evident, allowing teachers to become more reflective with their colleagues. It is also hoped that teachers will change their emphasis and become more concerned with their day-to-day practice and focus less on a one off perfect lesson (if such a thing exists).

Secondly, and most importantly, it is all about the pupils! Anything we invest in has to impact on pupils’ learning. If it does not impact on learning then it is not worth pursuing – this allows us to prioritise the pupils whilst reducing meaningless tasks that might contribute to teachers’ workload.

As a school we need to develop an infrastructure to support our ethos. Traditional CPD can have a ‘one size fits all’ approach that teachers devalueOur evolved approach will create the social conditions for individualised professional learning. Our approach will become more agile; worrying less about having T&L developments planned out across the year and more on being responsive to the needs of our teachers.

Coaching sessions will become a regular feature of our work, providing more time and opportunities for our teachers to engage in professional dialogue with colleagues from across the school. It is hoped that these conversations will become custom and practice and will continue into the staff room, on to the corridors and beyond.

I am certain moving from CPD to JPD will provide a more effective professional learning offer for our teachers. However, I am also aware of the danger of creating a fragmented system. To truly realise our vision we require a more systemic infrastructure that underpins school improvement. Otherwise we are in danger of replacing one broken system with another. The professional learning opportunities that we provide must be carefully aligned with how we monitor the quality of T&L and our Performance Management structure. This should provide teachers at all levels with the knowledge to answer the following three key questions in relation to T&L; where am I, where do I need to be, and how do I get there?

Each year our teachers should be directed and given the tools to reflect on their own performance and to create their own targets. Line mangers should offer support, professional challenge and ensure that teachers select and engage with professional learning that meets their individual needs. Any monitoring system should then become a progress indicator where staff and the school can consider how professional learning has improved practice and contributed to gains in pupils’ learning. Conversations, such as those post-lesson observation, should focus more on what is next (for the pupils and the teacher) rather than on giving a judgement. 

Thinking about improving the quality of teaching and learning?

  1. What is your vision and ethos for JPD?
  2. How will you provide an infrastructure that not only develops your staff but drives school improvement?
  3. What conditions do you need to create a culture of professional learning?

No comments:

Post a Comment