Our teaching & learning framework: defining pedagogy linked to the teachers' standards

At Soke Education Trust, our people are our greatest asset - we ensure that everyone has the tools they need to succeed and prioritise self-efficacy and engagement in professional development.

For teachers, we have created a new, one-page document that comprehensively summarises our approach to Teaching, Learning and Assessment and supports them to engage in professional self-reflection.

This innovative document, titled Pedagogy and Teaching Standards, is a carefully crafted resource grounded in multiple educational frameworks. It integrates teacher standards, cognitive science best practices, CUSP task design, and Rosenshine's principles of instruction. Importantly, it is completely aligned with Teaching Walkthrus, which we use in every school to explore the practical implementation of our Trust toolkit of pedagogical strategies.

Our primary aim in practice, is to simplify self-reflection for teachers and provide clear pathways for professional development. The document is now a core part of every teacher's Teaching over Time (TOT) records, establishing a shared professional language within and across our schools and enabling clarity around ongoing support for professional development.

This approach offers multiple benefits. School leaders use the document to support teacher development at school, group, and individual levels. It also creates the opportunity to identify groups of teachers who might collaborate on specific areas, thereby enhancing peer support and professional learning. Most importantly, it supports teacher agency.

What we are particularly proud of is how this initiative represents another step in developing our trust as a genuine learning ecosystem. By creating a framework that enables honest, professional discussions, we are empowering staff to take meaningful ownership of their professional journeys and fostering deeper collaboration both within and between our schools.

The document is not just a piece of paper, but a powerful tool for professional growth and collective improvement.