Resources
A collection of articles, papers and case studies all focused on professional development, coaching and how schools are achieving impact using the Steplab approach.

Case study: Building a coaching culture at William Perkin CofE High School
By Millie Denby & Adele Barward-Symmons
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.

Case study: Strengthening trust-wide professional development with Steplab’s Group PD builder
By Amanda Underhill & Rachel Ball
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.

Case study: Transforming TA development at Manchester Communication Primary Academy
By Krissy Yates & Elliot Hahn
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.

How Outwoods Edge Primary aligned PD ahead of Ofsted
By Krissy Yates & Chris Severyn
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.

Case study: Building a culture of open classrooms and high-quality drop-ins at The Marvell College
By Rachel Ball & Eve Cromack
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.

Case study: Creating a bespoke PD curriculum at Kingsbridge Primary School
By Rachel Ball & Miranda Martyn
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.

Case study: Codifying great teaching across GEMS Education
By Abeer Sakka
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.

How can schools make time for coaching?
By Harry Fletcher-Wood
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.

Starting your coaching journey: The Intro to Coaching on Steplab course
By Sarah Cottinghatt
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.

Coherent professional development for a coherent curriculum
By Claire Hill & Katherine Howard
A response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (2025) in partnership with the Confederation of School Trusts.

Achieving all the aims of effective professional development with group PD and drop-ins
By Rachel Ball
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.

Teaching reading beyond phonics: introducing our new Reading Steps
By Abbie Williams
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.

How Elizabeth School District is pioneering Steplab drop-ins
By Zach Groshell & Kim Moore
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.

Introducing our new course: Evidence Informed Teaching
By Abbie Williams
Introducing Steplab’s new Evidence Informed Teaching course. Six interactive modules that turn educational research into practical, classroom-ready professional development (PD) for teachers and leaders.

Bradshaw Primary School: Building a Coaching Culture
By Ioana Suciu & Tim O'Sullivan
Bradshaw Primary School in Alice Springs has transformed teacher professional development through instructional coaching, creating a consistent, high-impact approach to teaching and improving student outcomes across the school.
