Woodham Academy has recently become one of just 12 schools to be recognised as a Steplab Coaching Hub for its innovative use of instructional coaching tools to improve teaching and learning.
Steplab Coaching Hubs are schools from around the country that are using the Steplab professional learning platform in unique and interesting ways to deliver successful professional development programmes based on instructional coaching. In essence, instructional coaching involves one teacher working with another to help them take small, personalised steps to improve their practice.
Every half term, Steplab Coaching Hub schools will open their doors for leaders who want to learn about instructional coaching, Steplab and implementation. Sarah Dickinson, deputy headteacher, said “this is such an exciting opportunity for our school community. We are commited to developing our teachers so they are able to deliver the best lessons possible to our students. We are so proud to have leaders visit our school and see the great learning that takes place.” “At Woodham we are committed to everyone becoming the best version of themselves they can be, staff and students alike. By becoming a hub school, we hope that this mission will positively impact a wider community of schools, colleagues and the young people they serve.”
On Wednesday 25th January we welcomed our first visitors to Woodham Academy as part of the coaching hub programme. As part of the visit, leaders attended our weekly teaching and learning briefing, focusing on strategies to check students’ understanding in the classroom, attended a morning meeting looking at our Year 7 students refining their retrieval skills. This was accompanied by lesson visits, observing coaching in action and speaking to staff and students about how coaching has helped to improve their practice. Feedback from the visit was extremely positive and leaders commented on the exceptional behaviour of the students around school as well as the vibrant climate in classrooms. Visitors commented “This day was a game changer! Came away inspired at seeing the impact instructional coaching can make to a school culture alongside so many helpful and practical ideas about how to scale our instructional programme and how to use Steplab to drive our school development priorities.” Woodham Academy are looking forward to welcoming more visits in the next half term.