At Lynn Grove Academy, we believe that high-quality professional development is a fundamental entitlement for all staff. To support this, we have restructured our school week to ensure dedicated time for CPD. Every week, pupils finish their school day at 2:00pm on one designated day, allowing staff to engage in two hours of focused professional development.

We are proud to be a Steplab Hub School, where teaching practice is continuously enhanced through weekly instructional coaching.

• New staff benefit from one-way coaching, receiving intensive support during their induction to help them establish strong foundations.
• Experienced staff participate in reciprocal coaching, enabling them to refine their teaching through small, incremental improvements while also developing their coaching skills by supporting colleagues across the academy.

Our approach is rooted in the belief that deliberate practice—through modelling and rehearsal—is key to embedding effective teaching habits and ensuring that coaching has a lasting impact.

 

Here is what our teachers say about CPD at Lynn Grove Academy.

Will Maslin - “It’s been really nice to see different departments to see how they do things differently and to reflect on specific areas about own teaching. I have found this to be helpful even when I am the coach rather than being coached. I have enjoyed getting to know other teachers and building relationships across the school. I have got a lot of different ideas from others. Such as using literacy and reading skills in my lessons after working with Lorraine.” 

George Savoury – “It’s been really helpful being new to a subject to have a subject specific coach who has helped hone my knowledge and embed specific subject knowledge with students.” 

Ben Ford – “Coaching has helped me to hone my craft, it’s made me become more conscious of each routine being in place and made me more aware of my teaching practice. Its been really helpful to embed new routines.” 

Amy Vanner Riley: “Coaching has enabled me to get to know, practice, and refine school routines as a new member of staff. It has also allowed me time to experience different subjects and teaching across the school that I usually wouldn’t have time to do!” 

Emma Hayward: “I have really valued the weekly discussion on the development of my own teaching practice and that of another expert outside of my department.” 

 

 

Lynn Grove Academy: A Steplab Hub School

Lynn Grove Academy is proud to be recognised as a Steplab Hub School, reflecting our commitment to excellence in teaching and professional development.

As a Hub School, we lead the way in implementing instructional coaching using the Steplab platform—an evidence-informed approach that supports teachers in making small, sustainable improvements to their practice. This coaching is embedded into our weekly routine, with dedicated time set aside for staff development every week.

Our role as a Hub School means we:

• Model best practice in instructional coaching for other schools.
• Support new teachers with intensive one-way coaching during their induction.
• Empower experienced staff through reciprocal coaching, enabling them to refine their teaching and develop as coaches.
• Host visits and share expertise with schools across the region, helping others build strong coaching cultures.

We believe in the power of deliberate practice—through modelling, rehearsal, and feedback—to embed effective teaching habits and ensure that professional development has a lasting impact.

 

Other forms of CPD at Lynn Grove Academy

In addition to coaching, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at Lynn Grove Academy includes dedicated time for Intellectual Preparation. This involves teaching staff working collaboratively within their subject departments to:

• Share best practice
• Strengthen curriculum implementation
• Engage in subject-specific training

These sessions are designed to deepen subject knowledge, refine pedagogical approaches, and ensure that every teacher is well-prepared to deliver high-quality lessons. By investing in Intellectual Preparation, we foster a culture of professional growth and academic excellence across all departments.