{"id":20442,"date":"2025-11-11T15:07:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T15:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressteaching.com\/?p=20442"},"modified":"2025-11-11T15:46:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T15:46:57","slug":"bespoke-or-banked-teacher-action-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressteaching.com\/?p=20442","title":{"rendered":"Bespoke or Banked? What schools are learning about effective action steps\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTom Cragg\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Head of Client Success, MFL Consultant and Examiner, School Governor, former Head Teacher<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Are we getting teacher action steps right? <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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96% of leaders and teachers who voted said they set bespoke action steps.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

That headline figure raises an important question:<\/span>\u00a0
“What\u2019s your strategy for setting teachers\u2019 action steps?<\/i><\/span>\u00a0“<\/span><\/p>

The action step is arguably the most important part of the feedback<\/a> given to teachers. It describes what they should <\/span>do differently<\/span><\/i> to improve their teaching and, ultimately, to secure better outcomes for pupils. But as simple as that sounds, getting it right is a real challenge.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Over the past few weeks, I\u2019ve been exploring this question in more depth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Investigating how schools set action steps <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To understand current practice, I approached this theme from two angles:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\ud83d\udd39\" <\/strong>A poll<\/span><\/b> answered by <\/span>76 trust leaders, school leaders, and teachers, where participants also shared their reasoning in the comments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\ud83d\udd39\" <\/strong>A review<\/span><\/b> of <\/span>action steps from 50 schools, including examples written from scratch and those drawn from shared banks or frameworks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

This combination of data and qualitative feedback provided a fascinating snapshot of how schools currently approach teacher development<\/a>, and what\u2019s working (or not).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What the poll revealed<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Results from a poll of 76 school and trust leaders on how they set teacher action steps.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The results were clear:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\ud83d\udd39\" <\/strong>68%<\/span><\/b> of respondents said they value <\/span>both<\/span><\/i> options – using a shared bank <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> creating bespoke steps.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\ud83d\udd39\" <\/strong>28%<\/span><\/b> prefer entirely bespoke steps.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\ud83d\udd39\" <\/strong><\/b>Only <\/span>4%<\/span><\/b> work solely from a pre-set bank.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

This paints a consistent picture. Most schools want <\/span>a balance between structure and flexibility,\u00a0a framework that supports consistency and quality assurance, but that doesn\u2019t limit professional judgement or responsiveness to context.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In practice, schools appreciate the <\/span>efficiency and alignment that come from a well-designed bank of action steps.<\/a> Yet they also recognise that <\/span>teaching is complex, and no predefined list can capture every nuance of classroom practice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The message is clear: schools don\u2019t want to choose <\/span>either\/or,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0they want the best of both.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What leaders and teachers said<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The comments shared by leaders and teachers added valuable colour and context to the data. Here\u2019s a selection that captures the range of perspectives:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cI see the need for guaranteeing a standard of actions for those novice at mentoring; but it should never feel constrictive.\u201d \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cIt depends on the stage the school is at when it comes to embedding feedback in the culture among staff. A bank can help scaffold those early conversations and bring alignment across wide groups, but bespoke steps are really useful once feedback is the norm.\u201d \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cA generic bank can be useful, especially if a school is looking to improve in a specific key area or enhance practice as a whole school (e.g. cold-calling or use of mini-whiteboards).\u201d \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cFeedback scaffolds can be particularly helpful for less experienced observers or for those learning to observe outside of a subject.\u201d \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cPersonalised targets are helpful for setting subject-specific actions.\u201d \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cI would argue for a system with predefined action steps as I believe they can help both mentee and mentor. I would also keep the flexibility to step outside the predefined list as teachers are not robots and their development doesn\u2019t always fit into a neat, predefined box.\u201d \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Across all these responses, one word stands out: <\/span>balance.<\/p>

Leaders and teachers see value in having something to draw from, but they also want the freedom to tailor actions to their unique context.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What the sample of 50 schools showed<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When I reviewed a cross-section of action steps from 50 schools, the variation was striking.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In many schools, there didn\u2019t appear to be a clear, shared approach to writing action steps. The format, tone, and level of specificity varied widely, even within the same organisation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

However, in the schools where action steps were most <\/span>consistent and actionable<\/span><\/i>, there was a clear structure – the <\/span>\u201cdo this, so that\u2026\u201d<\/em> model.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

For example:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Read challenging texts aloud with fluency, intonation, and expression, so that pupils hear and internalise the rhythms, phrasing, and prosody of skilled reading.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

This approach was both concise and purposeful. It clearly linked the <\/span>teacher action<\/span><\/i> to the <\/span>intended pupil outcome<\/span><\/i>, making it easier for teachers to understand the <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> behind the feedback.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Key takeaways<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From this small study, a few themes stand out:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

  1. Structure supports quality.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0
    A shared framework or model (like \u201cdo this, so that\u2026\u201d) helps make feedback more consistent and meaningful.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>
  2. Flexibility sustains ownership.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0
    Allowing teachers and mentors to adapt or refine action steps keeps the process authentic and professional.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>
  3. Clarity matters most.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0
    Whether from a bank or written bespoke, the best action steps make the intended improvement crystal clear, and always link to impact on pupils.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    Looking ahead<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    As schools continue to refine their approaches to instructional coaching and teacher development, finding the right <\/span>balance<\/span><\/i> between structure and autonomy will remain key.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    The evidence suggests that neither a rigid bank nor a fully open system is ideal. Instead, the most effective models appear to blend <\/span>guidance, exemplars, and professional discretion,\u00a0helping teachers know <\/span>what great looks like<\/span><\/i> while trusting them to adapt to their classroom reality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    Stay in the loop<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Join our newsletter<\/strong> to get research, practical examples, and tools for improving lesson feedback and teacher development.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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