Victoria Foster is the Director of Teacher Training and Professional Development at Charterhouse Lagos. Over the past year, we have been speaking to Victoria about building a culture of professional learning rooted in the Model for Great Teaching and how the school is deepening teacher expertise through the Great Teaching Toolkit. We caught up with Victoria to reflect on the school's first year and discuss what comes next. 

Celebrating success

We closed the year with a small celebration of professional learning. Each teacher created a simple poster capturing their development focus, the strategies they had experimented with and what they felt had improved. These posters now line the walls of our training room.  

The celebration itself was intentionally relaxed. Teachers walked around the room engaging with each other's reflections before we gathered for tea and cake. It wasn't about measuring impact; it was about recognising effort and helping everyone see that the development cycle is supportive rather than judgemental.  

That first positive experience was crucial. It helped teachers understand the process and feel confident that this work sits outside appraisal. Now we can build on it with much greater depth. 

Deepening feedback

This year, our focus is on strengthening feedback, so teachers get a richer picture of their practice. Returning staff have completed self-reflection surveys, and peer feedback has been combined with our existing monitoring processes, so teachers can receive specific, actionable feedback from senior leaders and other colleagues.   

We'll build on this with student surveys later in the term. I think this will be incredibly valuable: teachers will be able to compare their own perceptions with peer observations and student experiences. 

For new staff, these tools are optional. They have a lot to take on already, and we want them to settle in without feeling overwhelmed. The long-term aim is to bring them into this feedback loop gradually and positively. 

Balancing the needs of new and existing teachers

As a growing school, we have teachers at very different stages of familiarity with the Great Teaching Toolkit. New staff are working through the Foundation Course in two-week cycles and adding reflections to the same Padlets we introduced previously. This means they are building the same shared language that last year's staff developed. 

Meanwhile, returning teachers are ready for a deeper, more sustained approach. They already understand the development cycle, and now they need time and structure to embed strategies in a meaningful way. Balancing these groups has required careful pacing so neither feels rushed or held back. 

Going forward

A major lesson for me this year has been recognising just how long meaningful change takes. Our first development cycle lasted only six weeks, which was enough to introduce the process but not enough for habits to take root. 

This year, we are extending the cycle across two terms and using the EEF's mechanisms for effective professional development, especially modelling, rehearsal, monitoring and feedback. I plan to build on the work we have done in supporting staff to feel comfortable using video feedback, to support us with this. Our aim is to slow the process down, give teachers more opportunities to practise and refine strategies, and create space for repeated cycles of feedback.  

Join Victoria Foster and 14,000+ other educators using feedback through the Great Teaching Toolkit to strengthen their practice. Find out more here.