This blog is the fourth instalment in a five-part series written by Matthew Anglesea, Assistant Principal at Durham Sixth Form Centre.  It explores their evolving journey with the Great Teaching Toolkit (GTT), from initial implementation to their current practices and reflections. Durham 6th Form are one of the lead schools using the GTT, and have recently been awarded the status of Great Teaching Centre. As part of this community, Durham Sixth Form Centre now stands as both a beacon and an exemplar. Sharing practice, leading by example, and helping to shape a global movement for sustained, evidence-informed professional learning. 

Deliberate Practice: Turning Evidence into Everyday Teaching

In the previous blog, we explored how we worked to secure teacher motivation and buy-in, ensuring colleagues were engaged and invested in our professional development programme. Yet knowledge and motivation on their own do not automatically translate into improved teaching. For professional learning to have real impact, teachers need structured opportunities to develop, refine and embed specific techniques in their classrooms.

Using Video to Strengthen Teaching Practice

In the early pilot groups, we explored this by using the Great Teaching Toolkit platform to video lessons. Teachers uploaded short clips for colleagues to observe and provide feedback on. Initially, many preferred live lesson visits, but over time they came to see the value of being able to pause, replay and analyse clips together in pairs or small groups. This encouraged richer discussion and a sharper focus on the specifics of practice. In one professional development session, the Principal and I modelled this by showing a short clip of our own questioning. We asked colleagues to score it out of ten, then debated why it was not a seven, or why it was better than a five. By putting ourselves in a vulnerable position, we encouraged others to embrace video as a developmental tool. Today, short clips of teaching are becoming a regular feature of whole-school PD sessions. Used as artefacts to spark reflection and reinforce key principles of teaching and learning.

Departmental Autonomy in Professional Development

We also recognised that in some subjects, a whole-school approach was not always the most effective vehicle for developing techniques. This year, for example, Maths and The Visual Arts have been given autonomy to lead and implement their own professional development programmes. The only stipulation is that these are designed in line with the EEF’s mechanisms of effective PD. And that the time invested focuses on those aspects of teaching most likely to improve student outcomes. In doing so, both departments have been encouraged to draw on the resources and systems within the Great Teaching Toolkit platform. Using its courses, student surveys and developmental tools to shape their programmes in ways that best fit their subject context. In practice, this has meant tailoring the language of our policy to fit subject needs. In Art, for instance, colleagues found it more helpful to frame their work around “activating creativity” rather than “activating hard thinking.”

Learning Walks as a Tool for Teacher Growth

The primary vehicle for developing teaching techniques across the school has been through Departmental Developmental Learning Walks. Within departmental time, colleagues discuss key takeaways from whole-school sessions. Consider how they relate to their subject and agree on a developmental focus. Departments may choose a single focus for all staff to work on collectively, or allow individuals to set personal targets. This focus then informs the termly learning walk, in which colleagues, often in pairs, observe lessons for 15 minutes. Or use video clips of teaching, as described earlier, and then provide developmental feedback on the agreed area of practice. Subsequent departmental meetings allow for reflection, refinement and the sharing of effective practice across the team.

Strengthening Middle Leadership in Teacher Development

The initial success of this model depended heavily on heads of department, who played a central role in leading the development of teaching techniques. To support them, we invested time to build their expertise in leading teacher development. This programme unpacked the EEF guidance report, helped colleagues understand the mechanisms that underpin effective professional development. And emphasised the importance of creating climates within departments that prioritise teacher learning. It also reinforced why, despite the many demands of their role, middle leaders must place teacher development at the heart of their leadership. Having now completed three years, we will continue into a fourth, building on the 2025 summer conference theme of Turning Experience into Expertise.

Developing teaching techniques has been central to translating knowledge and motivation into classroom practice. By combining whole-school structures, departmental autonomy and the use of the Great Teaching Toolkit, we have created multiple pathways for teachers to refine their craft. The next step in our journey is to ensure these improvements are not one-off gains but become habits that last. In the final blog of this series, we will explore how we have worked to embed practice, sustaining long-term change and securing lasting impact on student outcomes.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of this work further, please contact Matthew Anglesea, Assistant Principal, Durham Sixth Form Centre at matthew.anglesea@durhamsixthformcentre.org.uk.