A Strategy for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group
At the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, we believe that exceptional learning and teaching transform lives. We are committed to becoming an outstanding first choice Education group, passionately serving all our
Purpose Statement
This strategy outlines our collective commitment to cultivating an inspiring, inclusive and ambitious environment where every learner excels and fulfils their unique potential.
We are committed to supporting every learner and apprentice to achieve their goals and qualifications alongside them acquiring the skills, experiences, values and attitudes to have a positive impact on the economy.
INCLUSIVE LEARNING:
Our environments will be inclusive, and trauma informed, allowing every learner and apprentice to feel a sense of belonging and thrive.
TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES:
communities. We strive for strong outcomes for our learners and apprentices, through high achievement rates, strong attendance and excellent progression and destinations.
This strategy outlines our principles for excellent high quality teaching learning and assessment, which meets students at their starting point and tailors’ approaches to individual needs. The strategy will assist educators to maintain high expectations and ensure strong scaffolded support for all, guiding and directing them to remain and progress in their education.
Our inter-connected principles for teaching and learning are aligned to the Group’s Strategic Goals and will enable the achievement of our vision:
EXPERT EDUCATORS:
Our educators will be reflective, collaborative and know the latest evidence-informed practice.
Our learners and apprentices will experience high-impact sessions that are engaging, raise aspirations and prepare them for their next steps.
FUTURE-FOCUSED CURRICULUM:
Our curriculum will be bold and purposeful, fostering ambition and developing skills for the future.
Whilst we maintain as a Group that we have no preferred style of teaching, the strategy connects several of our tools supporting effective teaching, learning and assessment including our Teaching Excellence Matrix, Ready to Teach expectations and PRISM Principles of Great Teaching.
The above statements link to key objectives in the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030.
OUR GOALS
1. INCLUSIVE LEARNING
Teach to Inspire. Design for Mastery
Adapt with Intent
We remove barriers through responsive, high-quality teaching so every learner and apprentice feels seen, supported and able to thrive.
Create Supportive Environments
We build positive, inclusive classrooms with clear routines and strong relationships, so learners and apprentices feel confident to participate, take risks and grow.
Tools to support this:
Ready to Teach
Scaffold for Success
We provide the right support at the right moment, building confidence early and gradually removing scaffolds so learners and apprentices grow in independence, resilience and belief in their own ability.
Know Our Communities
We use learner information, including group profiles, starting points and assessment outcomes to shape learning that is inclusive, relevant and reflective of the communities we serve.
Student Group Profile Group Planning Documentation
Inclusive Pedagogies Framework
2. FUTURE FOCUSED CURRICULUM
Grow Together. Go Further.
Experiment and Innovate
We try out new tools, techniques and approaches in our teaching, using the Teaching Excellence Matrix to reflect on what works and how it improves learning.
Routes to Excellence
We recognise where we are in our teaching journey through reflection and self-assessment and engage in the right professional development to grow our practice, build expertise and move confidently toward excellence.
Tools to support this:
Ready to Learn Standards
Celebrate and Scale Great Practice
We actively share what works through We Talk Teaching forums, team collaboration and wider communities of practice, helping effective approaches spread across the Group.
Stay Industry Current
We stay up to date with emerging trends, technologies and sector expectations and use this knowledge to design learning that prepares learners and apprentices for their next steps.
Teaching Excellence Matrix Ready to Teach & Teaching at the Heart Inductions
Teaching & Learning Champions
We Talk Teaching
I>Innovate Programme
3. TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES
Elevate Potential. Ignite Ambition.
Create High Impact, Memorable Learning
We plan engaging sessions that open with strong starts and use practical tasks, modelling, questioning and real-world connections to energise learners and apprentices and deepen understanding.
Spark Curiosity
We use questioning, challenge and real-world problems to draw learners and apprentices in, ignite interest and encourage them to explore ideas deeply.
4. EXPERT EDUCATORS
Lead.
Use Research to Refine Practice
We apply evidence informed strategies, including the PRISM principles to strengthen our teaching, evaluate impact and continually refine how we support learning..
Stay Professionally Current
We grow our practice by staying up to date with our subject and our industry, making sure learners and apprentices experience teaching that mirrors real world practice and today’s sector standards.
Use Research Informed Strategies
We draw on evidence based approaches, including the PRISM principles to plan and deliver sessions that maximise thinking, strengthen memory and create consistently engaging, high impact learning experiences.
Connect Learning to Next Steps
We make learning meaningful by linking content to future study, careers and real contexts, helping learners and apprentices understand why it matters and where it leads.
Tools to support this: Professional Learning PRISM Principles
Teaching & Learning Conference
Teaching & Learning Champions
Teaching & Learning Conference
Grow Through Research Informed CPD
We take part in purposeful professional learning that connects theory to practice and supports us to develop mastery through reflection, feedback and deliberate practice.
Develop Through Coaching and Reflective Dialogue
We work with Teaching & Learning Champions, Digital Coaches and peers to analyse our practice, engage in meaningful dialogue and use feedback and self reflection to grow our craft.
Talk Teaching PRISM Principles
OUR COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH
A Dynamic Culture of Growth
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is integral to our collective progress and our commitment to every educator. Our CPD offer is responsive, evidence-informed and designed to support individual growth and collaborative excellence.
We empower our educators to be dual-skilled experts, confident in both their subject specialism and their pedagogical craft. This strategy is built on the belief
Engage in our journey through:
I>innovate sessions supporting the development and use of educational and immersive technologies (monthly)
We Talk Teaching forums bringing educators together (Nancy Kline, The Promise That Changes Everything 2020)
that professional growth is a continuous, reflective and collaborative journey, where every teacher is valued, invested in, and developed.
Informed by research, our approach to professional learning leans on the works of Nancy Kline and the Thinking Environment (2020); creating spaces for educators to think, grown and learn independently.
Teaching & Learning Champions and Digital Coaches supporting departments to aim high
Lesson Visits, Unseen & Video Observations focused on professional reflection and action setting (Matt O’Leary, Classroom Observations 2020)
Internal HOW2s supporting educators to implement evidence informed strategies (Tom Sherrington & Oliver Caviglioli, Teaching Walkthrus 2022, Jamie Clark, One Pagers)
1:1 Coaching & Mentoring built into our Quality Improvement ethos (Doug Lemov, The Coach’s Guide to Teaching 2020)
Measuring Our Impact
Evidencing Excellence & Driving Improvement
The success of this strategy will be monitored and evaluated through a range of rigorous qualitative and quantitative measures. This ensures robust accountability, identifies
Outcomes from Lesson Visits, Curriculum Check-in Weeks (CCiW) and structured peer walks, providing rich insights into classroom practice.
• Comprehensive analysis of learner achievement data, including progress, attainment, retention and the reduction of achievement gaps across all learner groups.
• Student experience reviews, systematic collection of feedback on planning and assessment processes, and the amplification of the student voice.
Linked Strategies and Documents
Tailored induction pathways for teachers and assessors
areas for celebration, and informs continuous improvement, contributing to our Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and Quality Improvement Plan (QIP).
Outcomes from Course Area Reviews (CARs), SelfAssessment Reviews (SARs), and feedback from external reviews (e.g. Ofsted, Awarding Organisations).
• Evidenced increase in pedagogical reflection, active participation in collaborative practice and the demonstrable application of evidence-based strategies in classrooms.
We are committed to fostering a dynamic culture of growth where every educator is supported to develop both their pedagogical expertise and their industry specific knowledge. Our professional learning offer is deliberately structured, responsive and evidence informed, combining a minimum of 30 hours of annual CPD with targeted development days rooted in the outcomes of our quality assurance processes.
Informed by research, our approach to professional learning leans on the works of Nancy Kline and the Thinking Environment (2020); creating spaces for educators to think, grow and learn independently.
Through subject specialist upskilling, pedagogical training and innovative opportunities such as I>Innovate, educators are equipped to keep their practice fresh, relevant and aligned with contemporary sector expectations.
New educators receive tailored induction and one-to-one coaching, while ongoing Performance and Development Reviews ensure professional learning remains purposeful, personalised and linked directly to impact in the learning space, connected to the ethos of Doug Lemov ‘Coach’s Guide to Teaching, 2020’
We champion a reflective, nonjudgemental culture where educators think deeply about their practice, analyse learner progress and use structured reflection models such as Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle and the 5Rs Framework, to identify precise areas for development.
Coaching, unseen lesson visits, video analysis and developmental planning surgeries create authentic spaces for professional dialogue, informed by the work of Matt O’Leary, ‘Classroom Observations, 2020’ enabling educators to test ideas, refine approaches and build confidence.
Our Teaching & Learning Champions, Digital Coaches and peer networks enhance this further by nurturing communities of practice where colleagues collaborate, share strategies and codesign innovative solutions to pedagogical challenges. Incorporating evidence informed strategies by Tom Sherrington & Oliver Caviglioli ‘Teaching Walkthrus 2022’ and Jamie Clark ‘One Pagers, 2024’
Across all learning, we maintain a strong commitment to evidence-based practice and Adaptive teaching Educators are encouraged to engage critically with leading educational research and to use frameworks such as the Teaching Excellence Matrix and the PRISM principles to shape consistent, inclusive and high impact teaching.
We empower our educators to be dual-skilled experts, confident in both their subject specialism and teaching craft. This strategy is built on the belief that professional growth is a continuous, reflective, and collaborative journey, where every teacher is valued, invested in and developed.
This ensures that every learning experience is intentionally designed, accessible and ambitious, enabling all learners to thrive. Through rigorous yet supportive review processes, we monitor the impact of professional learning on teaching quality and learner outcomes, ensuring that our CPD remains effective, meaningful and responsive to the evolving needs of our educators, our sectors and our communities.
For more information, help and support please contact the Quality and High-Performance team.
THE EVOLVING PRISM OUR PRINCIPLES FOR GREAT TEACHING
PRISM PRINCIPLES OF GREAT TEACHING
PROBING QUESTIONING & CHECKING LEARNING
PROBING QUESTIONING & PROGRESSIVE PRACTICE
More questions in more depth to generate curiosity.
More questions to more students in more depth
REVIEW AND RECALL Daily, Weekly, Monthly
REVIEW & RESPONSIVE TEACHING Recap. Recall. Retrieve.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW INFORMATION & CHUNKING
INTRODUCTION OF NEW INFORMATION & CREATING CONNECTIONS
Move learning to long-term memory.
Preventing cognitive overload
STRONG STARTS & SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS
STRONG START TO SESSIONS
Routines to Support Resilience.
Generate curiosity
MODELLING & GUIDED PRACTICE
MODELLING & MASTERY
Developing learner independence
Show them. Guide them. Empower them.
Pedagogical approaches for success.
Your guide to successful teaching
Select the strategies most appropriate for you and your groups
Our flexible approach to great teaching is guided by our PRISM Principles, research informed flexible framework for pedagogical excellence, informed by Coe et al (2014), Fiorella & Mayer (2020) and Hattie (2023) and Rosenshine’s Principles in Action (2020)
P – Probing Questioning & Progressive Practice:
What this looks like in practice
Educators actively use probing questioning to check and deepen understanding, diagnose misconceptions and stimulate critical thinking in all learners.
Educators scaffold activities to build complexity and encourage learners to stretch beyond their current capabilities, fostering a culture of high aspiration.
Why this is important to us
For 2025-2028, we evolve PRISM to explicitly embed pedagogical reflection, foster vibrant communities of practice and champion robust evidence-based approaches. We recognise these elements as vital for continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring that every educator matters and is supported to excel.
Probing questions help teachers check what learners really understand and spot any misconceptions early. Tom Sherrington explains that effective questioning should be active and responsive, helping teachers adjust their teaching based on what learners say and think. Using these deeper questions encourages learners to think hard, explain their ideas and develop strong problem-solving skills.
R – Review & Responsive Teaching:
What this looks like in practice
• Educators regularly devote time to reviewing past learning (daily, weekly, monthly) to strengthen long-term memory and establish strong connections between new and prior knowledge.
• Educators respond to learner needs, informed by ongoing assessment for learning, enabling real-time adaptations in pace and content to maximise individual progress.
Why this is important to us
Reviewing past learning every day, week and month helps learners remember knowledge for much longer. Research on retrieval practice shows that actively recalling information (rather than just re-reading it) strengthens memory and helps students spot gaps and link ideas more easily. Studies by Roediger and Karpicke also show that repeated retrieval boosts long-term retention, helping learners build secure knowledge they can use confidently when learning new topics. Regular review makes learning “stickier,” reduces forgetting, improves confidence, and helps students feel more prepared for future lessons and assessments.
Scaffolding means giving learners the support they need at first, then gradually removing it as they gain confidence. Geoff Petty’s evidence-based teaching principles show that modelling, guided practice and feedback help learners take on more difficult tasks successfully. Good scaffolding challenges students at the right level, builds independence and helps them believe they can achieve more over time.
Adapting teaching in real time is one of the most effective ways to help every learner make progress. Dylan Wiliam’s work on formative assessment shows that checking understanding throughout a lesson—through questions, mini-whiteboards, quick tasks or exit tickets—gives teachers valuable information about what learners need next. This ongoing feedback helps teachers adjust the pace, revisit misconceptions or move learning on, ensuring that learners stay challenged but supported. When teachers use assessment to guide their decisions, learners make faster and more secure progress.
What this looks like in practice
Educators introduce new content in manageable ‘chunks’, clearly signposted within the broader learning journey, to prevent cognitive overload. Educators revisit taught content, reinforcing ideas and connecting learning to real world contexts to support the retention of knowledge and skills in the long-term memory.
Why this is important to us
Breaking new learning into small, clear steps helps students avoid feeling overwhelmed. Cognitive Load Theory shows that our working memory can only cope with a few ideas at once, so chunking reduces overload and helps students concentrate on what matters most. Research also shows that chunking improves understanding and helps learners remember more over time because they can process each part properly before
S – Strong Starts & Supportive Environments:
What this looks like in practice
• Educators begin every session with engaging activities that immediately draw learners and apprentices into purposeful learning, establishing positive routines and maximising learning time.
• Educators ensure environments are inclusive and safe, where learners and apprentices feel welcomed, valued and empowered to take risks, learn from mistakes and grow confidently.
M – Modelling & Mastery:
What this looks like in practice
Educators model new concepts, practical skills and explicit thought processes, providing clear examples and guiding learners through structured practice to build fluency and confidence. Educators will equip learners with the tools to think critically about their own learning. By fostering metacognitive awareness, they will support learners to plan, monitor and evaluate their progress, building the independence to achieve mastery and apply their learning to new and challenging situations.
Why this is important to us
Beginning lessons with a simple, consistent starter helps students settle quickly and focus. Tom Sherrington highlights that clear lesson-start routines reduce confusion and direct attention, making the beginning of lessons smoother and more purposeful for everyone. When students know exactly what to do as soon as they enter the room, more time is spent on meaningful learning and less on settling the class.
A safe, welcoming classroom helps every learner feel valued, confident and willing to take risks. Geoff Petty emphasises that
moving on. This means students are less confused, more confident, and better able to succeed with harder content later.
positive relationships and clear expectations are central to effective teaching, helping students feel secure enough to attempt challenging work and learn from mistakes. Research into belonging and classroom climate also shows that when pupils feel included and respected, engagement and achievement rise, and learners are more confident participating in lessons and working with others. When educators build these inclusive environments, students are more motivated, more resilient and better able to grow academically and personally.
Why this is important to us
Modelling shows learners what good work looks like and how to achieve it. Barak Rosenshine explains that clear demonstrations, worked examples, model answers and step-by-step guidance help reduce cognitive load and give learners a secure starting point when tackling something new. By modelling both the practical steps and the thinking behind them, educators build learners’ confidence, help them avoid common mistakes and support them to grow steadily towards independence and mastery.
Metacognition is simply learners thinking about how they learn—planning their approach, checking their progress and reviewing what went well. Teaching these habits can make a big difference to learners’ progress when used regularly in lessons. In practice, this might include teachers modelling their thinking out loud, using simple planning prompts, asking learners to pause and check their understanding, or ending tasks with quick reflections. By building these routines, educators help learners take ownership of their learning and apply their knowledge confidently in new situations.
How do we support you to put PRISM into practice?
All educators have access to our Microsoft Teams Teaching and Learning page with a bank of teaching one page ‘how to’ strategies aligned against each of the PRISM Principles. Regular posts related to teaching practice are added to this space along with articles and professional learning opportunities aligned to PRISM and the strategy. Regular professional learning sessions are offered focused on the PRISM principles and annual PDRs encourage conversations and action setting against PRISM.
Our Teaching Excellence Matrix, which supports educators to reflect on where PRISM appears in their delivery and practice, aligns the PRISM principles to the teaching and learning themes we explore and reflect on through lesson visits.
All new educators to the Group will have an induction session focused on PRISM and will complete a training needs analysis against each of the PRISM Principles.