How to generate true collaboration to improve teaching and learning practice

By Lorna Langridge, Head of Quality and Curriculum Development at NewVIc

At NewVIc (Newham Sixth Form), staff have come together and opened their classroom doors to take on a challenge to try “Just One Thing”.

The concept came from a discussion I had with a group of teachers about their planned teaching strategies for the day. I quickly realised the impact we could have on teaching and learning practices if we shared the ideas with the wider staff group, and an assessment enquiry idea was born.

The idea of “Just One Thing” is simple: put staff into pairs, with one trying a strategy while the other provides feedback and shares good practice. I hoped that this would encourage collaboration and the exchange of best practices among our staff, which includes both experienced teachers and newcomers, who are all dedicated to preparing students for a future life in higher education, apprenticeships, employment and in the world.

It started in August 2024 during a professional development day. Teachers and learning support staff engaged in a training session aimed at creating the right mindset. We focused on: acknowledging learning from each other, making continuous progress, valuing mistakes and misconceptions as learning opportunities, embracing challenges to develop skills and understanding, and recognising the importance of taking risks to move beyond comfort zones, all while acknowledging that NewVIc is a learning environment for both students and staff.

The feedback was very positive, and I wanted to keep the momentum going by launching "Just One Thing" as a collaborative, conversational and fun event keeping the heart of the reflective theme, the intended impact to students and the development of all staff, not just those who teach. With the support of the marketing and communications team, “Cake and Pair” became our slogan and was quickly well known as I met all staff along the corridor. This encouraged conversations and a genuine engagement.

On 13 September, we had a launch event, where staff were able to discover who they have been paired with and celebrate with a slice of cake. It was great to see teachers sitting down and having a teaching conversation, planning dates and talking about strategies they intended to try.

To keep to the theme, preparation for the teachers was kept to a minimum to allow the focus to be on best practice. Within two days of the launch, pairs were inviting one another to a pre-meeting to discuss the strategy and plan the peer observation and very quickly I was being asked if more than one visit could take place to trial new ideas and gain feedback.

So far, the following strategies have been trialed:

• Pose the question to all, pause, give thinking time…

• Pounce – ‘cold call’ on a specific learner, and then bounce – choose another learner to agree (A), build upon (B), or challenge

• Say it again better – developing vocabulary, encouraging more words when answering questions, generative learning and thinking routines

In late October we had a CPD day where we revisited our experiences coming together to feedback on the process, why certain strategies were selected, the collaboration that took place and where do we go now. This promoted a great buzz and produced ideas, thoughts and new practices that many of us had not thought about; this is the power of collaboration when everyone comes together to try “Just One Thing.” Throughout the rest of the autumn term, person two will be inviting person one to a discussion and opening their classroom door to explore practices and further possibilities.

As a result of the feedback, I am now planning future collaborative working as NewVIc has embraced this open conversation and demonstrated that we all came together to provide our students with the opportunity to be successful.