Solihull College Embeds Innovation into Professional Development with HOW2

“Innovation is one of our core values,” explains Rachel Arnold, Quality Coach and Lecturer at Solihull College and University Centre, a leading institution in the heart of the West Midlands, UK, renowned for its provision across engineering, health and social care, business, and the creative arts. ​“It’s a cornerstone of our professional development strategy and is embedded across our teaching and learning culture. Our aim is to lead, not just participate in, sector-wide improvement. HOW2 is a key part of that vision, enabling us to build a scalable, evidence-based professional development model that empowers staff and drives new developments in teaching from the ground up.”

Rachel describes HOW2 as a ​“ready-to-go platform” that supports staff in taking ownership of their development. ​“The hardest part of our job in quality isn’t identifying what to improve — it’s creating the kinds of resources that staff can learn from and apply in practice. That takes time. HOW2 helps by giving educators the tools they need to drive their own development and learning.”

While the platform empowers staff to take initiative, it also provides a structure for coaches to contribute to that development in a consistent and scalable way — a theme explored further in the next section.

The platform helps bridge the gap between recognizing a development need and providing a practical, evidence-based solution. By offering step-by-step guidance on a wide range of teaching techniques, HOW2 ensures that staff aren’t left with vague feedback — they’re given clear, actionable strategies aligned with their goals.

“As a quality team, the HOW2 Platform is a massive help,” Rachel continues. ​“Traditionally, we’d research ideas and support staff to roll them out. Now, HOW2 gives us a structured, evidence-based way to do that across the board. And the platform itself is scalable, making it possible to support every educator in the organization.”

Accessibility is also key: ​“The teaching techniques are presented in a way that isn’t overwhelming,” Rachel adds. ​“HOW2 supports a solution-minded approach to improving the learner experience. Its usability makes it easy for staff to engage with techniques at any time, thanks to its clear, visual format and intuitive design.”

One of the key reasons Solihull College selected the HOW2 Platform was its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing teaching and learning frameworks. The platform made it straightforward to embed evidence-based techniques directly into the College’s observation process — a crucial part of its CPD quality cycle — ensuring professional development remained both reflective and strategically aligned with institutional goals.

A key feature enabling this alignment is the platform’s Organisational Sets. These Sets allow staff to curate collections of techniques mapped directly to the College’s observation criteria. After each observation, a single HOW2 technique is selected in response to an identified area for development. This ensures that follow-up support is practical, personalized, and directly connected to Solihull’s institutional priorities.

Quality coaches guide this process, introducing a relevant HOW2 strategy that staff can apply in their own classrooms. During the following term’s observations, educators are invited to reflect on how they adapted the technique, reinforcing a reflective — not evaluative — approach to improvement.

The platform’s Nudge feature plays a central role in maintaining momentum between observations. Coaches can use this tool to send timely, supportive reminders to staff, helping sustain engagement, reinforce developmental goals, and keep coaching conversations active.

As part of Solihull’s ​‘Cultivate’ initiative, CPD at the College is framed around growth and development. Rachel is currently developing a project called ​‘CPD Roots’, which will provide staff with clear pathways for professional learning. Each pathway is supported by a curated HOW2 Set aligned with one of the College’s eight Principles of Pedagogy.

This alignment ensures consistency across departments while enabling staff to tailor their development to their needs. ​“We want to create space for educators to explore and refine their practice,” Rachel says. ​“HOW2 helps us do that with structured flexibility.”

HOW2’s Skills Exchange and Notes features are also playing a growing role in building a collaborative culture. Coaches share techniques after observations, and staff are starting to use the Notes feature to reflect on their use of specific techniques. These Notes can be shared with peers, enabling an emerging community of practice to form.

A weekly ​“HOW2 of the Week” highlight, shared via the HOW2 Community Notice feature, keeps staff engaged by celebrating practical successes and reinforcing what’s working across the organization. By spotlighting strategies in action, the initiative helps build momentum and fosters a culture of shared professional learning.

The future at Solihull is firmly rooted in innovation. The College’s CPD Roots initiative, set to launch next year, will provide staff with clear pathways for professional learning, with HOW2 continuing to play a central role. Each pathway will be supported by curated HOW2 Sets aligned with the College’s eight Principles of Pedagogy, ensuring development remains both practical and connected to teaching priorities.

The College is also developing its Teach the Teacher (TTT) intervention, a unique initiative that flips the traditional teacher-student dynamic. Rachel describes how the project repositions learners as experts, allowing them to teach vocational skills back to their teachers. This role reversal fosters mutual respect, builds learner confidence, and strengthens relationships, particularly in GCSE resit classes.

“Ultimately, everything we do is about enhancing the learner experience,” Rachel concludes. ​“And HOW2 gives us the practical tools to do that in a way that’s sustainable, collaborative, and grounded in evidence.”

Teach the Teacher (TTT) is one of Solihull College’s most innovative pedagogical approaches: a bold intervention that challenges traditional classroom dynamics. Developed internally and now adopted by other colleges, TTT invites vocational learners to teach their tutors a skill from their area of expertise — bricklaying, plastering, mechanics, and more.

By placing students in the role of the expert, TTT strengthens learner identity and builds confidence, particularly for those in GCSE resit programs who may have struggled in the past. It also promotes empathy, deepens teacher-student relationships, and gives educators a fresh perspective on their learners’ strengths.

As part of the College’s sector-facing innovation agenda, TTT reflects Solihull’s commitment to reshaping pedagogy through meaningful, learner-centered practice.