Starting point 2
Teaching and learning
When teaching quality depends on the classroom, leaders need a shared picture of what good looks like. This starting point builds it.
The situation
Teaching quality is uneven. Some departments show strong practice; others rely on individual style rather than shared approaches. Pupils meet different expectations from one lesson to the next, and leaders find it hard to describe great teaching beyond general principles.
This is not a lack of expertise. It is a lack of coherence.
The shared behaviours
The whole leadership team works on these three, one each half term.
- S1 Explain the Why. Leaders are clear about why the teaching priority matters and how it connects to pupils’ outcomes.
- S5 Establish Collective Goals. Teams agree a small number of shared teaching priorities rather than many.
- C4 Maintain Consistency. The priorities are applied in the same way across departments.
A routine to launch with
Launch with the do-now or the end of the lesson. A shared start or finish to every lesson is a small, visible change that every teacher can make in the same week, and it gives leaders something concrete to talk about in learning walks.
How the year runs
Count from whenever you start. Each leader also follows the usual plan: the self-review first, colleague feedback in the second half term, and a 90-day plan from the third.
| Before you begin | Leaders take the self-review. Agree the one teaching priority for the year, and why. |
| Half term 1 | S1 Explain the Why. Launch the routine with the reason first, then the decisions. |
| Half term 2 | S5 Establish Collective Goals. Each department sets one goal linked to the priority. Colleague feedback opens. |
| Half term 3 | C4 Maintain Consistency. Check the routine across departments. Leaders start 90-day plans. |
| Half terms 4 and 5 | Teaching conversations focus on the priority. Consider a second routine. |
| Half term 6 | Review the year. Choose whether to deepen this priority or move to the next. |
What success looks like after a year
- A clear, shared understanding of effective teaching
- Greater consistency across departments
- More precise and useful teaching conversations
- More confident instructional leadership
The trap to avoid
Launching several teaching initiatives at once. One priority, one routine and one set of conversations will do more than five strategies launched in September.
A judgement call
Where teams already agree the priority but do not follow it through, L8 Don't Drop the Ball may be prioritised in place of S5.
When something specific comes up
The plan sets the direction for the year. Within it, leaders will face difficult conversations, team problems and moments of uncertainty. Use the Leadership Challenge Finder to find the behaviours that help most, or talk it through with the ES Coach.