The effect of professional learning in the classroom
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Information about the school/provider
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg is a Welsh-medium all age school (3-18 years) which serves a wide community within the Vale of Glamorgan. The school is situated in Barry, in an area that is not traditionally Welsh speaking. There are 1,431 pupils on roll, of whom 37.2% come from Welsh-speaking homes. Eleven point one per cent (11.1%) of pupils are eligible for free school meals and 4.4% of pupils are on the additional learning needs (ALN) register.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
Professional learning is a central element of the school’s work and underpins its ambition to provide the best possible learning experiences for all pupils. Developing teaching and learning is a key strategic priority. The school believes strongly that developing staff is the most effective way to improve teaching, enrich learning experiences and raise pupils’ standards.
A strategic professional learning programme is developed annually, which stems directly from the school’s ‘Canfod, Rhannu a Chysoni’ self-evaluation process. Through this process, the school identifies areas for development, researches effective practices and ensures that what is learned is embedded consistently into the day-to-day teaching practices of its teachers.
The school also operates as a Learning Organisation. This rationale is shared with staff annually, focusing specifically on three of the seven key dimensions:
- Creating and supporting continuous learning opportunities for all staff.
- Promoting team learning and cooperation among all staff.
- Establishing a culture of enquiry, innovation, and exploration.
By implementing these principles, the school has fostered an environment where professional learning is a collective responsibility and a natural part of the work of all teachers and teaching assistants.
Description of the nature of the strategy or activity
To ensure a direct link between professional learning and improvements in teaching and learning, professional enquiry forms an integral part of the school’s development and evaluation programme. This ensures that all development activities focus on developing practice, while considering how they contribute directly to improving pupils’ experiences and standards.
Staff work in professional triads and follow a structured five-step enquiry process:
Step 1: Creating an enquiry question
Each triad formulates a specific enquiry question based on a priority in the school improvement plan (SIP). These questions stem from considering pupils’ needs and focus on improving learning experiences or outcomes.
Step 2: Research and planning
Members of the triads conduct relevant research, for example by reading, visiting other institutions or attending courses/seminars/conferences. They review effective practices and plan a new intervention or teaching strategy to pilot.
Step 3: Trialling in the classroom
The strategy is implemented in the classroom over a specific period. Teachers monitor pupils’ responses and gather evidence about the effect of the approach on pupils’ engagement, understanding and progress.
Step 4: Observation and evaluation
Members of the triad observe each other’s practices to gather additional evidence. The process emphasises co-operation and constructive feedback, creating an open culture where staff feel comfortable sharing successes and challenges.
Step 5: Reporting and sharing findings
At the end of the process, each triad summarises the evidence and findings in the form of a one-page document. These conclusions are shared during staff sessions to ensure that professional learning is disseminated widely across the school.
The school has established a clear and structured timeline for the enquiry work to ensure consistency and momentum. Specific timeframes have been allocated for triad discussions, observations and opportunities to review progress. This has helped to ensure that the research focuses on action and impact, rather than remaining solely at a theoretical level.
Impact on pupil provision and standards
This approach has succeeded in establishing a whole-school culture of enquiry, where all members of staff contribute actively to improving provision. Professional learning is no longer viewed as an individual activity or as something that takes place separately from the school’s day-to-day work; instead, it has become a core part of developing pedagogy and learning practices.
The process integrates effectively with the school’s ‘Canfod, Rhannu a Chysoni’ model. In the ‘Canfod’ phase, triads research, experiment and gather evidence about the effectiveness of new teaching methods. During the ‘Rhannu’ phase, the most successful practices are disseminated on three levels: within individual departments, across departments and throughout the whole school. This involves staff from all part of the school, from foundation learning to Year 13. In the ‘Cysoni’ phase, the findings are used to inform broader developments, such as adapting programmes of study, adopting new teaching methods or refining assessment processes.
The enquiry process has had a significant effect on pupils’ experiences and on developing teaching across the school. By researching evidence-based pedagogical practices, pupils have benefitted from more effective, interesting, and engaging learning activities. The development of more purposeful, innovative, and rich activities has captured pupils’ interest and encouraged them to take greater responsibility for their own learning. This has had a positive effect on pupils’ progress, confidence, and motivation across a range of subjects and age groups.
How have you shared your good practice in the school, the sector and beyond?
Sharing good practice is an essential element of the model’s success. Whole-school sessions for sharing good practice are held regularly, in which staff present the findings of their enquiries and discuss the effect on teaching and learning. These sessions promote rich professional discussions and help to disseminate successful ideas across the whole school.
Effective practices are also shared in departmental meetings and cross-departmental forums, ensuring that learning is transferred between different subject areas and stages of education. This approach has contributed to developing a strong professional learning community, where co-operation and continuous improvement are at the heart of every decision. These practices are also shared with external organisations through networks.