Instructional coaching is an innovative approach to professional development that involves one teacher collaborating with another to help them take small, personalised steps to develop and improve their practice.
All teaching staff at Ridgeway High School participate in our innovative Instructional Coaching programme, led by a talented group of subject-specialist lead practitioners. This allows classroom culture to be led by those who have most experience in delivering highly effective lessons. Underpinning our programme is a strong belief that that all students should receive the best classroom experience every single day in order to achieve the highest possible outcomes.
We have identified that, for our students, the best teaching takes place where teachers have the highest expectations of students in their classes and understand how to identify and mitigate any barriers to learning, and where teachers know their students well, forging positive relationships and building their trust. In carefully considered coaching pairs, our Instructional Coaching programme allows teachers to break down the CLEAR Practice Framework, our essential elements for effective classroom practice, and use deliberate practice to identify and improve upon individually identified areas for development and of course to celebrate, recognise and share best practice.
Ridgeway was selected as a hub school in December 2023. Hub days enable teachers to visit schools that have implemented instructional coaching successfully and demonstrate excellent practice. Hub days include opportunities for visitors to sit in on conversations and see instructional coaching in action. It is something that delegates always mention in their feedback as a highlight of the day.
