Joint Practice Development Through a Peer-Led School Improvement Partnership - Research-Driven Recommendations

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

Joint practice development through a peer-led school improvement partnership summarizes findings from a three-year Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) project evaluating the Schools Partnership Programme (SPP) in England. Conducted by UCL academics using quasi-experimental impact and mixed-methods process evaluation, the report links the SPP to Joint Practice Development (JPD) theory. It highlights how peer review clusters strengthen teacher engagement, support teacher leadership and lateral knowledge exchange, and particularly benefit schools serving disadvantaged communities. Recommendations guide policymakers on sustaining collaborative teacher professional development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Context and theoretical framework

The SPP model

Key findings

Teacher professional development

Teacher leadership and joint practice development

Knowledge exchange and collaboration

Addressing educational disadvantage

Recommendations for policymakers and school leaders

Joint practice development through a peer-led school improvement partnership: research-driven recommendations for policymakers and school leaders David Godfrey and Bernardita Munoz-Chereau Introduction This paper presents a summary of a three-year project funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) evaluating the Schools Partnership Programme (SPP) . The SPP is a peer-led, collaborative school improvement model in England, developed by the Education Development Trust (EDT), where clusters of schools conduct peer reviews and support one another’s improvement. The study was conducted by academics at the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership and involved both quantitative and qualitative methods, including a quasi-experimental impact evaluation and a mixed-methods process evaluation (Godfrey et al., 2023) . This condensed report focuses on key findings and offers research-driven recommendations for policymakers and school leaders, specifically regarding how peer-led initiatives can foster teacher professional development (TPD), improve school outcomes, and encourage leadership. The theoretical underpinning is based on the Joint Practice Development (JPD) model, where learning is collaborative, practice based and deeply integrated into the fabric of school improvement (Sebba et al., 2012) . Context and theoretical framework The concept of peer-led school improvement has been championed as a strategy within the selfimproving school system (SISS) in England. Peer reviews and collaborative school partnerships have been promoted as mechanisms for achieving system leadership and professional or horizontal accountability, while reducing the dominance of top-down accountability systems (Hargreaves, 2010) . OECD research underscores the benefits of peer reviews, particularly in high-stakes accountable education systems like that of England, where external evaluation pressures can be counterproductive to school collaboration (Hofer et al., 2020; OECD, 2013) . The SPP operates by creating clusters of schools, where self-evaluation and peer review serve as the foundation for improvement activities. The SPP model is deeply embedded in the JPD model (Fielding et al, 2005), where teachers and leaders work together to learn from one another, share expertise, and cocreate solutions to common challenges (Brown et al., 2016) . This model departs from hierarchical, topdown approaches to professional development and instead promotes mutual learning and knowledge exchange (Sebba et al., 2012) . The SPP model Through these processes, the SPP aims to build leadership capacity across schools and empower teachers at all levels to take ownership of school improvement. By encouraging enquiry-based learning and peer collaboration, the programme fosters teacher leadership and professional growth, driving both individual and institutional improvement. Key findings Teacher professional development The SPP demonstrated a strong capacity for fostering teacher ownership of school improvement. By the conclusion of the trial, 88% of school leaders reported that the programme had helped their teachers feel a greater sense of engagement with their school’s improvement objectives (Godfrey et al., 2023). This aligns with existing literature that emphasises the importance of collaborative, sustained and practicebased professional development (Cordingley et al., 2015). Teacher leadership and joint practice development The SPP promotes teacher leadership by encouraging teachers to act as peer reviewers and ICs. These roles empower teachers to lead professional learning within their schools and across partnerships. Teacher leadership in this context is seen as a collective effort, where teachers influence their colleagues and engage in system-wide improvement (York-Barrand Duke, 2004). The JPD approach ensures that professional development is mutual and involves sharing knowledge laterally rather than through traditional, top-down method

FAQs

What is the Schools Partnership Programme (SPP) and how does it work?

SPP is a peer-led model where clusters of schools conduct peer reviews and support one another’s improvement. It is embedded in the Joint Practice Development (JPD) approach, emphasizing collaborative, practice-based learning among teachers and leaders.

What does the study report about teacher professional development outcomes?

The study found strong capacity for fostering teacher ownership of school improvement. By the end of the trial, 88% of school leaders reported that the programme helped teachers feel greater engagement with their school’s improvement objectives.

How does SPP address educational disadvantage?

Schools serving more deprived communities benefitted particularly. Those in the most deprived quintiles (measured by IDACI) reported higher teacher engagement, leadership capacity, and evidence-informed practices than less deprived schools.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum