Professional Learning and Development at ATA

Providing high-quality and highly effective professional development for our teaching staff is a central part of the Academy’s ethos. It was one of the reasons the Academy was judged Outstanding in its most recent Ofsted inspection (September 2021). It is also a key driver behind our consistently exceptional public examination results and a reason why new entrants to the profession apply to join our team each year.

High-quality teaching is proven to have the greatest impact on student outcomes. This is why the Academy invests significantly in its professional development programme for staff.

All teachers follow a research-informed and carefully planned professional learning curriculum that focuses both on how students learn and on how to create rigorous and effective classrooms. Professional development takes place weekly, with each session linked to a termly theme. Each theme sits within a carefully sequenced annual curriculum. This “little and often” approach enables staff to continually review and refine their practice.

We achieve this by adopting a granular approach, focusing on one specific aspect of pedagogy at a time. Teachers plan lessons with the focus in mind, film themselves in the classroom, and then review clips individually and with a coaching partner. These reflections lead to purposeful adaptations in practice, establishing embedded routines and habits that support outstanding teaching. All teachers are fully engaged with this approach, underpinned by the shared belief that professional growth is always possible—not because they are not already good enough, but because there is always room to be even better.

In addition to our flagship professional development programme, we deliver all Early Career Teacher (ECT) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) within the Academy. These programmes ensure that colleagues at the start of their career are not only well prepared to meet national teaching standards but also equipped to meet the standard of excellence we set for ourselves at the Academy—enabling our students to achieve exceptional success.