Visit Lees Brook Academy: A Steplab Hub School
At Lees Brook Academy, we are proud to be recognised as a Steplab Hub School, supporting schools and leaders who are committed to delivering impactful professional development and coaching.
A visit to our academy provides an opportunity to see how a carefully designed approach to professional learning can drive continuous improvement in teaching and learning. Whether you are developing a new professional development strategy or looking to refine existing systems, our Hub School visits offer practical insights, real-world examples and professional networking opportunities.
Join Us
A visit to Lees Brook Academy offers more than simply observing professional development in action. It provides a valuable opportunity to engage with a school that has successfully embedded a culture of coaching, collaboration and continuous improvement, helping visitors leave with practical ideas to enhance professional development within their own setting. Register here: Lees Brook Academy – Home
Why visit Lees Brook Academy?
Our visits are designed for school leaders, CPD leads, instructional coaches and those responsible for improving teaching and learning. During your visit, you will have the opportunity to:
· Explore a well-established professional development model in action.
· Observe how instructional coaching supports teacher growth and improvement.
· Understand how coaching, professional learning and quality assurance align to improve outcomes.
· Gain practical ideas and strategies that can be adapted to your own setting.
· Network with colleagues from other schools and share experiences, challenges and successes.
What you will experience
Visitors will see first-hand how professional development is embedded within the culture of the academy. The programme includes opportunities to:
· Observe professional development and coaching in authentic school environments.
· Visit classrooms and see deliberate practice and instructional coaching supporting teacher development.
· Learn how Steplab is used to structure, monitor and sustain professional learning and how key functions can support implementation.
· Hear from leaders, coaches and staff about their implementation journey and the impact on teaching practice.
· Discuss how to overcome challenges, ask questions and reflect on how coaching and mechanisms of effective CPL principles could work within your own context.
Our Coaching and Professional Development Model
Professional development is a strategic priority at Lees Brook Academy. Coaching is underpinned by a structured 20:20:20 approach, ensuring staff receive regular opportunities to for scripting, modelling, and rehearsing pedagogies.
To maintain quality and consistency, coaches receive ongoing training and support. Coaching sessions take place within a dedicated central coaching environment, creating opportunities for focused feedback, collaboration and professional dialogue.
Alongside our embedded peer coaching model, we operate a comprehensive Expert Coaching Programme. This works in conjunction with reciprocal coaching cycles, ensuring all teaching staff benefit from both collaborative support and specialist expertise.
Our approach extends widely into academy life to promote coaching excellence and a culture of constructive feedback, including:
· Regular coaching drop-ins.
· Expert coaching opportunities
· A dedicated Coaching Bulletin that shares best practice and professional learning.
· Supporting other academies within Archway Learning Trust with the implementation of instructional coaching within their academies.
What do our visitors say?
“What a warm welcome and a fascinating and helpful visit. I was so grateful to ask so many questions and receive honest, realistic and positive responses.”
“Super helpful and encouraged us to reflect on our next steps. Also reassured us that we are moving the right direction.”
“Lees Brook offered invaluable insights into their implementation of Steplab. Seeing Steplab in action answered so many questions and sent us away with clear next steps.”