Revolutionising Educator Engagement in CPD at Middlesbrough College

Middlesbrough College, a leading educational institution in the Tees Valley, offers a vibrant £120 million campus and is renowned as a STEM specialist. The college supports students from all backgrounds, delivering a wide range of courses from Hairdressing to History and Engineering to Education. It’s also known for integrating advanced wind farming technologies into its programmes. With its innovative approach and strong community and industry partnerships, Middlesbrough College is shaping the future professionals of the region.

With a staff of approximately 1,000, the college is committed to excellence in teaching and learning as a core component of its strategic priorities. This commitment is embodied in the visionary leadership of Tamara Pierce, who joined the college as Associate Director: Teaching and Learning in November 2022 and was promoted to Group Director of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (TLA) in July 2023. Recognising the pivotal role of effective teaching methodologies in fostering student success, Tamara embarked on a mission to elevate the teaching standards and practices across the college. Her approach was not just about adopting new tools but transforming the entire educational landscape under the initiative themed ​‘Taking Teaching Higher.’

The primary challenge at Middlesbrough College was to find a way to upskill and support a diverse teaching staff, who varied widely in their subject expertise, experience levels, and individual needs. Tamara sought a solution that would not only cater to these varied needs but also promote a culture of shared professional learning and continuous development among the faculty. 

After thorough consideration, Middlesbrough College chose the TeachingHOW2s platform as the best fit for their needs. This decision was driven by key aspects of the platform that directly addressed the college’s requirements:

• Evidence-Informed Practice: The platform provides teaching techniques that are backed by research, offering teachers practical, proven tools to enhance their teaching effectiveness.
• Solution-Based Features: It addresses common educational barriers by providing clear, actionable solutions that teachers can apply in their classrooms.
• Accessibility and Usability: The platform is designed to be user-friendly, presenting evidence-based teaching techniques in formats that are easy to understand and accessible to all staff members at any time.
• Shared professional learning: It encourages collaborative development, allowing teachers to share insights and learn from one another in a structured, supportive environment.
• Robust Tracking and Reporting: These features enable both teachers and administrators to monitor and evaluate engagement and usage, and gauge the impact of the techniques being implemented.

Additionally, the ongoing support from the TeachingHOW2s team, led by Director of Partnerships, Damian Rollinson Small, ensured that the college could rely on expert guidance tailored to its specific needs and challenges. Damian worked collaboratively with Tamara Pierce from the very beginning of the rollout process, establishing a partnership that was crucial for aligning the platform’s use with the college’s strategic teaching and learning goals.

Following the strategic selection of the HOW2 Platform, the next critical step was ensuring its successful integration and adoption across Middlesbrough College. Tamara Pierce spearheaded a meticulously phased rollout strategy. Throughout this process, Damian worked closely with the full TLA team at the college, co-developing each phase to ensure that the strategy not only aligned with the college’s goals but also leveraged the platform’s strengths to the fullest. This collaborative approach was crucial for the platform’s acceptance and effectiveness, allowing for a tailored implementation that met the specific needs of the college’s diverse faculty.

The initial phase of the rollout focused on securing buy-in from key stakeholders within the college. This process was supported by Damian, whose expertise was pivotal, providing necessary clarifications and supporting Tamara Pierce’s presentation to ensure the leadership fully understood the strategic benefits of adopting the HOW2 platform. This involvement was key in fostering a shared understanding and enthusiasm for the initiative among the senior leaders.

After securing the endorsement of the SLT, the next critical step in Middlesbrough College’s strategic rollout of the HOW2 platform was its successful integration and adoption across the institution. 

An integral component of this strategy was the HOW2 Champions Training, a unique program that significantly differentiates TeachingHOW2s from its competitors. This training prepared department heads and advanced practitioners to become adept users and advocates of the platform, helping ensure a smooth and effective implementation.

Department heads from across the college were selected to participate in this training, focusing on:

• Practical, collaborative learning exercises to explore the platform’s evidence-based teaching techniques and social learning features
• Strategies for using the platform to support and encourage institution/network-wide sharing of best practice
• Linking HOW2s to specific organisation-led teaching and learning themes and initiatives.
• The HOW2 Instructional Coaching Model, which supports educators in their pedagogical development.
• Utilisation of the platform’s advanced features and the Barriers to Learning Collection to provide tailored support to educators.

By the end of the course, each department head had developed a structured plan to implement the platform to achieve improved TLA outcomes across their departments. This training was pivotal in enabling leaders to champion the platform’s adoption across their departments, ensuring that the rollout was accepted and effectively integrated into the college’s daily routines and strategic goals.

Following the strategic training of department heads and advanced practitioners, Damian and Tamara led an organisation-wide, online CPD session to further introduce the platform across Middlesbrough College. This session, attended by approximately 500 teachers, centered around the innovative use of the Barriers to Learning Questionnaire, a critical questionnaire that mirrors the HOW2 app’s Barriers to Learning Collection, available for download in the app’s Learning Centre.

The questionnaire connects teachers directly to common educational challenges, facilitating immediate engagement with the platform. During the session, teachers interacted with thirty questions that highlighted everyday barriers to student progress, serving as a gateway to a variety of pedagogical solutions. For instance, when teachers identified a specific issue such as some learners dominating discussions, the platform provided direct links to techniques tailored to address this specific challenge.

Once the teachers experienced the relevance and effectiveness of the platform firsthand, their perspective on its utility transformed. The session was an exceptional way to introduce teachers to the resources and support available through HOW2s, directly linking to the specific issues they face in their classrooms. This approach highlighted the immediate applicability of the HOW2 platform to real classroom situations, setting a strong foundation for ongoing engagement and demonstrating the platform’s potential to enhance teaching and learning outcomes at the college.

Tamara explains: ​“The introduction of the Barriers to Learning Questionnaire not only altered our teaching culture by normalising discussions around classroom challenges but also provided our educators with immediate, practical support. This session marked a pivotal shift, encouraging openness about challenges and directly engaging teachers with tailored solutions.”

With the successful endorsement from the SLT and the completion of the HOW2 Champions training, as well as the organisation-wide CPD session that engaged approximately 500 teachers, the rollout strategy advanced to its next phase: the integration of the HOW2 Platform into the existing processes and policies of Middlesbrough College. This crucial step was designed not merely to add the platform as an additional tool but to embed it as a central component of the college’s teaching and learning framework.

To accomplish this, the platform was incorporated into several key areas:

• Induction and Ongoing Training: The HOW2 Platform was incorporated into the induction program for new staff, ensuring that new educators were familiar with and could leverage the platform in their teaching strategies from the outset. Additionally, existing staff were encouraged to continually engage with the platform through scheduled training sessions and refresher workshops. To ensure alignment between our TLA strategy and initial teacher education (ITE), HOW2s were embedded into all teacher training lessons, providing a consistent approach to teaching across all levels of the educational process.

• Teaching and Learning Policies: Policies were updated to incorporate the HOW2 tools and techniques. For instance, a ​‘HOW2 of the Month’ feature was integrated into the college’s Teaching and Learning newsletter, ​‘The Curriculum Chronicle,’ which not only highlighted specific teaching techniques but also celebrated successful case studies of their application by staff.

• Quality Assurance Processes: The HOW2 Platform’s tracking and reporting features were utilised to enhance the college’s quality assurance processes. By integrating these features, department heads and TLA managers could monitor engagement and usage, adjusting strategies to optimise teaching practices.

This strategic, phased approach ensured that the HOW2 Platform was not only accepted by the college community but was also effectively integrated into the daily routines and long-term planning of Middlesbrough College, setting a robust foundation for sustainable engagement and continuous improvement in teaching and learning practices.

One year after the launch of ​‘Taking Teaching Higher’, the HOW2s vocabulary had become part of the everyday language at Middlesbrough College. This shift was not just linguistic but reflected a deeper integration of the platform into the teaching culture. Teaching, Learning, and Assessment managers reported significant time savings as they could focus more on pedagogical strategies rather than resource development.

In a recent Ofsted inspection, Middlesbrough College was highly commended for its dedicated efforts to enhance teaching and training across all its areas of provision. Leaders and managers were noted for their role in cultivating a culture of excellence, particularly through initiatives like the ​‘Taking Teaching Higher’ CPD programme, which was strategically supported by the HOW2 platform.

The effectiveness of the platform was further evidenced by Ofsted’s recognition of the college’s use of innovative teaching methods and assessment strategies, which have significantly boosted student engagement and learning outcomes. Such accolades serve as a strong testament to the successful implementation of the HOW2 platform in elevating educational practices at the college.

From January 2023 to November 2023, the HOW2 platform’s widespread use at Middlesbrough College underscores its vital role in shaping teaching practices. The substantial engagement with the platform highlights its effectiveness in enhancing collaborative learning and professional development across the institution:

• Overall Usage: 91% of users logged into the platform, with over 11,191 views of different HOW2s.

• Collaborative Learning: The platform facilitated extensive sharing of knowledge, with hundreds of private, shared, and organisation-wide notes.

• Engagement Metrics: Notable engagement was seen in the form of nudges sent, sets shared, and statuses updated in the Skills Exchange, highlighting the platform’s role in fostering a collaborative teaching environment.

One notable success of the HOW2 platform at Middlesbrough College is its transformative impact on CPD for apprenticeship assessors, spearheaded by Emma Simpson, Teaching and Learning Mentor. Recognising an initial disconnect in the application of the platform for apprenticeship assessors, Emma devised the ​“Ingredients of a Progress Review” framework. This initiative specifically adapted the HOW2s’ language and techniques to the unique context and daily experiences of apprenticeship assessors, enhancing their engagement and effectiveness.

Assessors now utilise technique sets from the HOW2 platform, specifically designed for their roles, which range from planning and conducting progress reviews to setting targets and providing feedback. This innovation has been instrumental in increasing assessor engagement with the platform, illustrating its effectiveness in addressing the unique needs of vocational training providers.

For a detailed look at this transformative approach and its outcomes, read more in our full article on Transforming CPD for Apprenticeship Assessors: My Journey with HOW2s.

As Middlesbrough College continues its journey with the HOW2 platform, the next strategic step involves introducing the HOW2 platform’s new AI Assistant. This enhancement provides real-time, personalised support to educators, enabling them to adapt teaching techniques to specific subject areas and lesson topics. 

Reflecting on this integration, Tamara Pierce noted: ​“The integration of AI within our teaching strategies isn’t just about adopting new technology; it’s about enhancing and aligning with our well-established educational frameworks. The HOW2 platform’s AI feature effectively supports and amplifies our teaching and learning policies, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, tailored learning experiences.” 

The HOW2 AI Assistant is expected to further refine teaching processes and enrich the learning experiences at Middlesbrough College, ensuring continued educational excellence.

Additionally, the TLA team is focusing on developing user profiles, enhancing the use of the platform’s notes feature, and leveraging its inter-organisational networking capabilities. These efforts aim to facilitate collaboration among educators beyond the boundaries of their own institution. Currently, they are working with Barnet and Southgate College, Bolton College, Hopwood Hall College, Hull, Kirklees, Nottingham City Hub, Dumfries and Galloway, Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, St. Helen’s and Knowsley College Group, and York College.

The successful implementation of the HOW2 platform at Middlesbrough College has highlighted its unique capability to provide targeted support and practical solutions where other platforms fall short. Through strategic planning with support from the TeachingHOW2s team, comprehensive training, and continuous engagement, the college has significantly enhanced its teaching practices and fostered a culture of collaborative professional development and continuous improvement. The upcoming integration of the HOW2 AI Assistant promises to further enrich teaching processes and learning experiences, ensuring Middlesbrough College remains at the forefront of educational excellence.