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Teaching Schools Hubs Peer Review Programme - Evaluation report launched

The Teaching Schools Hubs Peer Review Programme was a pilot initiative designed and delivered by Challenge Partners, aimed at providing opportunities for Teaching School Hubs to work together to improve their offer, forge cross-hub partnerships and promote system-wide change. 

Drawing on Challenge Partners’ successful Growing the Top programme model, the pilot matched pairs of Teaching School Hubs, based on their areas of systemic excellence and challenge. Each pair was also matched with a third Teaching School Hub, who were trained by Challenge Partners to act as facilitators. Groups engaged in structured visit days and whole-cohort events, designed to create social capital and support Teaching School Hubs through challenge, reflection and knowledge exchange. 

The evaluation report, which is based on analysis of feedback from programme participants and facilitators, highlights that the pilot established a successful culture of collaborative learning, with noteworthy shifts in self-evaluation surveys indicating substantial impact on supporting Teaching Schools Hubs to develop strategies to improve their areas of challenge.

Importantly, visit days received consistently high ratings (4.7/5), reflecting the immediate impact of the programme in exemplifying effective practices. Participating Hubs used these insights to craft robust strategic action plans.

Furthermore, the report underscores the important role of facilitation throughout the Teaching School Hubs Peer Review Programme. Facilitators, trained in the nuances of knowledge exchange, played a crucial role in steering visit days and fostering an environment conducive to open and honest discussions. The effectiveness of facilitation was evident in the consistently high feedback scores for facilitators (4.6/5) who were praised for their role in keeping discussions focused, timely and strategic. 

The report also looks at future improvements and recommends addressing the complexities of co-facilitation and exploring in-person formats for whole cohort events.

To view the report click here.