teacher learning
The Thinking School – Developing A Dynamic Learning Community For All Staff Within A Primary School
Kulvarn Atwal became head of Highlands Primary school in east London in September 2012. At the time, the school had just received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted. By the end of the year, pupil progress at Key Stage 2 was in the top 3% of schools nationally; by the end of the second year, they were in the top 1%. When Kulvarn took over, he firmly believed that by developing teachers within an expansive and collaborative learning environment, teachers will have the confidence to innovate and develop their practice. The simple premise was that through the empowerment of staff, children would flourish and their learning would accelerate. In this article he describes why he decided to create a dynamic learning community and considers the impact on staff.