As educators, we're all passionate about creating engaging learning experiences for our students. But how can we ensure our own professional learning keeps pace and fuels our teaching practice? At Kilwinning Academy, we've embarked on a year-long journey of transforming our approach to Continuous Learning and Professional Development (CLPL).

If you’d have asked us last year to write a blog post about what we thought possible within a year we wouldn’t have envisaged being able to reel off these developments and that is solely down to the professional commitment to improve from our staff here at Kilwinning. Without their buy-in, ideas, and time; none of the following would have been possible. In teaching we so rarely shout about our own successes as practitioners as we are completely pupil centred however our self-esteem is not self-regenerating, it’s crucial to share our successes.

Shared Vision, Common Language

Our journey began by establishing a clear vision for what constitutes an excellent lesson at Kilwinning Academy. Through collaborative effort, we developed a jargon-free language of pedagogy that resonates with all staff. This shared understanding formed the foundation for our CLPL initiatives.

Empowering Collaboration

We fostered a culture of collaboration by implementing paired observations. Teachers participated in joint CLPL sessions focused on key pedagogical strategies. Observing these strategies in action within each other's classrooms deepened understanding and laid the groundwork for future practitioner enquiry.

Meaningful Learning Lunches

Moving beyond traditional CLPL formats, we piloted Learning Lunches. These lunchtime sessions featured in-house specialists on specific pedagogical areas, backed by external peer-reviewed research. This format, averaging over 20 attendees per session, provided valuable insights and fostered professional dialogue.

The Secret Sauce: Needs-Driven, Research-Backed

We believe the success of our program hinges on two key ingredients:

1. Needs-based approach: Our professional learning offer is directly informed by the needs identified by the teaching staff. This creates immediate buy-in and establishes credibility for our initiatives.
2. Clarity and Relevance: Every session is meticulously developed to be clear, concise, research-driven, and demonstrably effective within our school context. This empowers teachers to confidently experiment with new approaches and share best practices.

Celebrating Success: A Sustainable Future

The past year has witnessed a remarkable shift in staff engagement with professional development. We're incredibly proud of the school-wide buy-in and the development of a robust CLPL calendar. The thirst for knowledge is evident, and we're committed to continuously enriching the "menu" of professional learning opportunities.

Key Takeaways:

• Establish a shared vision for excellence in pedagogy.
• Foster a collaborative learning environment
• Offer relevant, research-backed professional learning opportunities.
• Empower teachers to take ownership of their professional development.

By focusing on these principles, Kilwinning Academy is building a sustainable model for continuous learning and empowering our teachers to reach their full potential.

About the authors

Gail Aitken, Strategic Lead Learning and Teaching and Faculty Head of Technical and Art
I’m a Technical teacher to trade (literally!) and over the last 14 years I’ve been a middle leader across Technical and Art departments. My passion lies in creating innovative methods of professional development that improves pedagogy in the classroom, giving our young people an engaging and research backed learning experience in every lesson.

Scott Goodwin, Teacher of Chemistry and Physics at Kilwinning Academy
Since August of this session my role within the Learning and Teaching group has developed into CLPL co-ordinator at our school. I’m passionate about developing staff and helping them meet their professional development goals by creating and developing engaging and useful CLPL sessions which, in turn, improve experiences and outcomes for our young people.