How Outwoods Edge Primary aligned PD ahead of Ofsted

Like many schools, Outwoods Edge Primary previously delivered professional development (PD) through a series of standalone sessions. While valuable individually, leaders recognised that the approach lacked coherence and was not always closely connected to classroom practice.

To address this, the leadership team redesigned their PD offer around a structured curriculum aligned with the Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance on effective professional development for teachers.

The new PD programme focused on key school priorities such as writing and lesson design, drawing on evidence-informed teaching strategies and principles from Teach Like a Champion.

Professional learning now follows a consistent cycle:

• 1.
  one week of group PD focused on a specific teaching technique
• 2.
  followed by an application week where teachers practise the strategy in their classrooms

Each half term focuses on a single goal, allowing teachers to build expertise gradually and embed new practices over time.

Chris explains:

“Previously our professional development was quite standalone. Now we have a coherent PD curriculum that focuses on one key area at a time and supports teachers to practise and apply it in the classroom.”

Alongside the PD curriculum, the school introduced a structured instructional coaching model supported by Steplab.

The approach combines:

• 1.
  regular classroom drop-ins
• 2.
  a rotating one-to-one coaching programme for teachers

Three trained coaches currently support staff through six-week coaching cycles. By the end of the academic year, every teacher will have received a sustained period of individual coaching.

Each coaching target is selected from Steplab’s global step library, ensuring development is personalised and focused on small, precise improvements to teaching practice.

Chris explains:

“Using Steplab means coaching is tailored to each teacher. We choose steps that match their individual needs rather than forcing everyone to work on the same thing.”

This approach helps teachers focus on manageable improvements while building confidence through regular feedback and practice.

The school had been implementing its new PD programme for only four weeks when Ofsted called.

Despite being early in the rollout, leaders found that the clarity of their professional development strategy helped inspectors quickly understand the school’s direction.

Chris recalls:

“As soon as we mentioned that we were using Steplab, inspectors understood what we were trying to achieve with our professional development.”

Leaders were able to show inspectors:

• 1.
  the structure of their PD curriculum
• 2.
  how instructional coaching supported teacher development
• 3.
  how professional learning priorities aligned with classroom practice

This clarity helped inspectors see that the school had a purposeful and well-considered approach to improving teaching.

During the inspection, leaders were able to demonstrate clear alignment between their professional development programme and what inspectors observed in classrooms.

Chris explains:

“What we said we were working on is exactly what inspectors saw in lessons. That alignment gave us confidence that our PD strategy was working.”

Through Steplab, leaders could also show how coaching targets were tracked and revisited over time. Inspectors were able to see that teachers were actively engaging with coaching and that development goals were being monitored honestly.

This triangulation between PD priorities, coaching activity and classroom practice helped validate the school’s approach.

The impact of this approach to professional development was recognised in the school’s recent Ofsted report:

“Staff benefit from well-chosen professional learning opportunities that support the school’s key priorities for improvement.”

“Staff take part in training that strengthens their ability to meet pupils’ needs and provide the right support.”

These comments reflect the strength of the school’s structured PD programme and its alignment with classroom practice.

A key part of the school’s strategy was ensuring that professional development priorities were carefully chosen.

Leaders used a combination of school data, classroom observation and improvement planning to identify the teaching practices that would have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes.

Chris explains:

“We spent a lot of time triangulating different information to identify the right priorities. That meant everything we focused on was genuinely helping move the school forward.”

This clarity helped leaders articulate their strategy confidently during the inspection process.

Another strength of the programme is its alignment with research on effective professional development.

Using Steplab allowed leaders to design PD around key mechanisms highlighted by the EEF, including:

• 1.
  revisiting prior learning
• 2.
  practising teaching techniques
• 3.
  rehearsing strategies
• 4.
  receiving feedback through instructional coaching

Chris explains:

“Using Steplab meant we could explain clearly that our professional development programme is built around the mechanisms that research shows actually improve teaching.”

This evidence-informed approach helped leaders feel prepared when discussing professional learning with inspectors.

Teachers have responded positively to the new approach to professional development.

Staff particularly value the opportunity to focus on one area at a time rather than moving between unrelated topics.

Chris explains:

“Previously sessions might jump between things like maths, safeguarding or GDPR. Now staff appreciate being able to focus on one key area and really develop their practice.”

Teachers involved in coaching cycles have also highlighted the collaborative nature of the process.

“Staff often say the coaching feels like it’s done with them rather than to them. They appreciate being able to shape the direction of their development.”

This sense of ownership has helped strengthen engagement with PD across the school.

Reflecting on the experience, Chris believes that a coherent professional development strategy makes it much easier for leaders to communicate their improvement plans during inspection.

His advice to other senior leaders is to focus PD on small, purposeful improvements grounded in research.

“Using Steplab helps you focus staff improvement goals into an effective professional development programme based on small steps and strong evidence. It makes it clear to inspectors that leaders understand their school’s needs and know how they’re moving forward.”

For leaders at Outwoods Edge Primary, the biggest difference Steplab has made is helping the school focus its improvement efforts.

The platform enables leaders to deliver PD in a way that is structured, evidence-informed and practical for teachers.

Chris summarises the impact:

“Steplab helps us focus our energy on the right things at the right time. It breaks development down into manageable steps that teachers can apply straight away in the classroom.”

Inspired by the approach at Outwoods Edge Primary?

Discover how Steplab helps schools deliver impactful teacher professional development, instructional coaching and evidence-informed CPD that improves teaching and learning.

Book a demo to learn more.