This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring how the Great Teaching Toolkit can support professional development in busy primary schools. Across the series, we’ll speak to schools already using the platform and the advisors who support them, exploring the approaches they’ve taken and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Tanya Peers is the Executive Headteacher of Flimby Primary School, a small but vibrant village school based in Maryport, Cumbria. Now in their third year of using the Great Teaching toolkit, we asked Tanya to share three pieces of advice for primary schools just starting out on their own GTT journey. This is what she shared with us:

1. Focus on one thing and do it well

‘In our first year, we were keen to explore everything the GTT could offer. We used the full student survey and looked across a wide range of areas, which gave us useful insights and helped open up important conversations about teaching and learning. Staff engaged positively, and there was a clear appetite to develop practice.

However, the scale of this approach made it difficult to embed anything deeply. While we were doing a lot, we weren’t securing the lasting impact we had hoped for.

That experience helped us recognise the importance of focus. Since then, we have taken a more deliberate approach, prioritising one area at a time and committing to it over a longer period. This has allowed us to move beyond surface-level engagement and begin embedding practice more effectively.

2. Plan for sustainability, not just delivery

One of the biggest shifts for us has been in how we think about implementation. Historically, we would often move quickly from one initiative to the next, introducing something, delivering it, and then moving on.

Our work with the GTT helped us to reflect on that pattern and take a more structured approach. We now spend more time in the early phases, exploring and preparing, and being really clear about our priorities, and the reasons behind them, before moving into implementation. We have also become more selective in how we use the feedback tools in the platform, focusing only on the areas that are most relevant to our development goals.

This shift has helped us move away from short-term thinking towards a more sustainable, long-term approach to school improvement. We’re not just thinking about the content of professional learning, but the impact, providing space and time for our teachers to apply what they have learned, and then embed this into their practice effectively before moving on to something new.

3. Build buy-in and collaboration

Alongside this, we have really recognised the importance of people in the process. Building buy-in has been essential. Not just at the beginning, but throughout. It is important that all staff understand why the work matters and feel part of the journey.

This includes supporting colleagues at all stages of their career to see that professional learning is ongoing. There is always more to refine, and even small changes can make a meaningful difference to practice.

Collaboration has been a key part of making this work. Some of the most valuable professional learning has come from teachers talking together, sharing ideas, and constructively challenging one another. Creating the conditions for those conversations has been crucial.

We have also learned that simply sharing resources is not enough. Teachers need time and space to engage with them together, to discuss how they apply in practice, and to reflect on what works in their classrooms. By building a culture of openness and shared learning, we have been able to create stronger foundations for sustained improvement.’

Got questions on how the Great Teaching Toolkit can be implemented in your context? Book a call with us to see the platform and what it can do for you.