Where it began
Built by a leader
for leaders.
Our founder, Peter Hughes, on the idea that started it all — and why he still believes nothing matters more than what happens in the classroom.
“If you're not obsessed with what's happening in the classroom, then what are you obsessed with?”
Peter Hughes · Founder, ProgressTeaching
HOW PROGRESSTEACHING BEGAN
Built by a data manager, shaped by a suggestion
ProgressTeaching didn't start as a grand plan. It started with a need for better attainment data — and grew into something nobody quite expected.
A better way to track data
It began as a simple ambition: a better way of managing attainment data.
A colleague's suggestion
The ask was for visibility into what was happening inside the classroom. The team built it, and the true potential of ProgressTeaching became clear.
Real-time insights
What used to take half a term to analyse became instantly visible — replacing a six-week wait with a live picture of teaching and learning.
THE TURNING POINT
The gap wasn't the teachers. It was the leaders.
A Saturday spent filtering feedback by leader changed everything — and transformed school progress.
Filter by leader, not teacher
Looking at feedback leader by leader revealed the real gap: leaders who didn't yet know how to give high-quality feedback.
A jump in progress
That single shift in focus — leaders first, teachers second — added roughly half a grade of progress across the school.
Visibility for every leader
Trust leaders, headteachers and middle leaders can now see exactly what's happening in their classrooms — and where to focus next.
The end result
Progress starts from the top
Twenty years in the top 1% of schools isn't an accident — it's what happens when leaders, not just teachers, become the focus. That's the belief Peter built ProgressTeaching on, and the belief every school partnership is built on today.
See what this could look like for your school or trust
Every school's story is different — talk to us about how the thinking behind ProgressTeaching could apply to yours.