Resources

Ben Russell, Principal of Leigh Academy Halley, shares how the school embedded instructional coaching with Steplab as part their improvement journey, helping build the consistency, culture and teaching quality recognised in its recent Ofsted inspection.

Deputy Headteacher Adele Barward-Symmons shares how William Perkin CofE High School has built a highly effective instructional coaching programme using Steplab, creating a culture of continuous improvement, strong staff engagement and consistent teaching practice.

School leaders face difficult decisions about how to invest limited time, budget and capacity in professional development. This whitepaper explores common false economies in PD and offers a practical framework for choosing sustainable, mechanism-rich approaches that improve teaching over time.

South Pennine Academies uses Steplab’s Group PD builder to deliver consistent, evidence-informed professional development across 11 schools. Leaders report reduced workload, improved consistency and stronger classroom practice through structured PD and instructional coaching.

Elliot Hahn and Krissy Yates explore how Manchester Communication Primary Academy (MCPA) has built a high-impact professional development programme for teaching assistants using Steplab - improving staff expertise, confidence and outcomes across the school.

Deputy Headteacher Chris Severyn explains how Outwoods Edge Primary redesigned its professional development programme using Steplab. By combining a clear PD curriculum with instructional coaching, leaders aligned staff development with classroom practice ahead of their Ofsted inspection.

The Marvell College, part of Hull Collaborative Academy Trust, moved from standalone CPD to a structured professional development model with Steplab. Weekly group PD, rehearsal and drop-ins have helped build a culture of openness, reflection and improved teaching practice.

Kingsbridge Primary School is using Steplab to create a bespoke professional development curriculum, align coaching with classroom priorities, and use data to strengthen teaching consistency across the school.

GEMS Education partnered with Steplab to scale instructional coaching and deliver a consistent, evidence-informed approach to professional development across its global network of schools, improving teaching quality and aligning classroom practice at scale.

Instructional coaching is one of the most effective forms of teacher professional development - but only if it actually happens. Harry Fletcher-Wood explores how schools can make time for coaching and what we can learn from those doing it well.

Discover our Intro to Coaching course - a practical, evidence-based foundation for instructional coaching on Steplab that builds confidence and supports high-impact teacher development.

A response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (2025) in partnership with the Confederation of School Trusts.

In this blog, Rachel Ball explores how all four aims and 14 mechanisms of effective PD can be achieved through group PD and drop-ins.

Our Reading Steps provide an evidence-informed approach to teaching reading beyond phonics. Developed with Chris Such, they support fluency, deep text discussion and sustained reading momentum.

Elizabeth School District near Denver is using Steplab drop-ins to build a culture of frequent, supportive feedback. Short classroom visits help leaders recognize great teaching, suggest clear next steps, and shape professional development based on real classroom evidence.