At Lyng Hall School, professional learning is built on trust, collaboration and continuous improvement. We have worked hard to create a culture where classroom visits, coaching and professional dialogue are viewed as opportunities for growth rather than compliance.

Colleagues regularly visit one another's classrooms, share effective practice and engage in developmental conversations focused on improving learning for students. Professional support is rooted in coaching and reflection, ensuring that staff feel empowered to take risks, innovate and continually strengthen their practice.

This approach creates a highly collaborative environment where professional learning is everyone's responsibility and expertise is shared openly across the school.

A major strength of professional development at Lyng Hall School is our highly embedded use of the Steplab instructional coaching platform.

Steplab enables teachers and leaders to engage in meaningful coaching cycles, practise targeted action steps and receive regular feedback that is focused on incremental improvement. As a result, professional development is personalised, evidence-informed and sustained over time.

The impact of this approach is reflected in the scale of professional engagement across the school. During the last academic year, staff logged more than 900 classroom drop-ins through Steplab, demonstrating our commitment to collaborative practice, professional curiosity and continuous development.

Rather than being viewed as observations for performance management purposes, these visits are valued opportunities for colleagues to learn from one another and strengthen classroom practice.

We are committed to supporting colleagues at the beginning of their teaching careers. Our Early Career CPD Framework provides a comprehensive programme of professional learning, mentoring and guidance, enabling Early Career Teachers to build confidence, develop effective classroom practice and establish strong foundations for long-term success.

Through dedicated support and expert mentoring, ECTs are fully equipped to flourish within the profession.

Professional development is embedded into the working week at Lyng Hall School. Dedicated CPD time within our Wednesday meeting schedule ensures that all staff have regular opportunities to engage with educational research, explore effective pedagogical approaches and collaborate with colleagues.

These sessions focus on whole-school priorities while also responding to emerging needs and developments in teaching and learning.

Much of our professional development is led by colleagues from within the school. This enables expertise to be shared, celebrates effective practice and ensures that staff are both contributors to and beneficiaries of professional learning. By drawing on the strengths of our own staff, we create a culture where professional learning is collaborative, relevant and grounded in classroom practice.

This approach not only develops individual expertise but also strengthens our collective capacity to improve outcomes for all students.

Collaboration is one of our greatest strengths. Our Teaching and Learning Communities meet regularly on Thursdays and bring together colleagues from across different subject areas to share best practice, explore new ideas and engage in professional enquiry.

These cross-curricular groups encourage innovation, strengthen professional relationships and ensure that successful teaching strategies are shared across the school, benefiting both staff and students alike.

Subject Leadership and Curriculum Improvement

Subject leaders play a crucial role in driving improvement across Lyng Hall School. Through ongoing curriculum development, quality assurance activities, coaching and departmental collaboration, our middle leaders lead professional learning within their areas and ensure that teaching continues to improve over time.

Working closely with senior leaders and colleagues across the school, subject leaders use evidence, assessment information and classroom practice to identify priorities, celebrate strengths and implement meaningful improvements.

At Lyng Hall School, we are proud to nurture current and future leaders. We actively support colleagues to undertake National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and currently have eight members of staff engaged in programmes including NPQH, NPQ SENCO, NPQSL and NPQLTD.

We are committed to helping staff achieve their professional ambitions. Whether aspiring to become a curriculum specialist, pastoral leader, middle leader or senior leader, colleagues are supported through coaching, targeted professional development and leadership opportunities both within Lyng Hall School and across Finham Park Multi Academy Trust.

Our culture of professional growth encourages colleagues to take on new challenges, develop leadership expertise and contribute to whole-school improvement.

Partnership with the Lion Alliance and Finham Park Multi Academy Trust

As a proud member of Finham Park Multi Academy Trust, Lyng Hall School benefits from a strong partnership with the Lion Alliance. This partnership provides access to a broad range of high-quality professional development opportunities, specialist expertise, leadership programmes and collaborative networks.

Professional development at Lyng Hall School is designed to have a lasting impact on both staff and students. Through instructional coaching, Teaching and Learning Communities, leadership development and subject-led improvement, we have established a culture in which professional learning is valued, purposeful and embedded in daily practice.

The strength of this culture is reflected in the high levels of engagement across the school, including more than 900 classroom drop-ins logged through Steplab during the last academic year and strong participation in National Professional Qualification programmes.