Impact & Credibility
Home ➞ PL Options ➞
We partner with schools, pre-schools and colleges for the long-term so that together, we significantly improve learning, teaching and leadership.
As our founder, James Nottingham said in this podcast:
” Keynotes inspire and challenge, leading to a renewed sense of passion and focus. However, it is the longer-term processes that evolve into the most important and powerful outcomes. That is why as a company, we invest in the long-term. Our Challenging Learning Process guides, encourages, demonstrates and coaches. We walk alongside staff for 2-3 years, ensuring that improvements are embedded and a ‘new normal’ is created. “
As our founder, James Nottingham said in this podcast:
” Keynotes inspire and challenge, leading to a renewed sense of passion and focus. However, it is the longer-term processes that evolve into the most important and powerful outcomes. That is why as a company, we invest in the long-term. Our Challenging Learning Process guides, encourages, demonstrates and coaches. We walk alongside staff for 2-3 years, ensuring that improvements are embedded and a ‘new normal’ is created. “
As our founder, James Nottingham said in this podcast:
” Keynotes inspire and challenge, leading to a renewed sense of passion and focus. However, it is the longer-term processes that evolve into the most important and powerful outcomes. That is why as a company, we invest in the long-term. Our Challenging Learning Process guides, encourages, demonstrates and coaches. We walk alongside staff for 2-3 years, ensuring that improvements are embedded and a ‘new normal’ is created. “
Indicators of Impact
We are delighted to have played our part in helping 450+ schools, pre-schools and colleges in 11 countries improve the outcomes of feedback, dialogue and questioning; lift attainment grades, sometimes to the best levels seen in a decade; boost professional engagement such that the number of applicants per vacancy have multiplied many times over; increase student attendance and decrease staff illness; and embed a healthier attitude towards challenge, progress, curiosity and collective efficacy.
Indicators of Impact
We are delighted to have played our part in helping 450+ schools, pre-schools and colleges in 11 countries improve the outcomes of feedback, dialogue and questioning; lift attainment grades, sometimes to the best levels seen in a decade; boost professional engagement such that the number of applicants per vacancy have multiplied many times over; increase student attendance and decrease staff illness; and embed a healthier attitude towards challenge, progress, curiosity and collective efficacy.
Indicators of Impact
We are delighted to have played our part in helping 450+ schools, pre-schools and colleges in 11 countries improve the outcomes of feedback, dialogue and questioning; lift attainment grades, sometimes to the best levels seen in a decade; boost professional engagement such that the number of applicants per vacancy have multiplied many times over; increase student attendance and decrease staff illness; and embed a healthier attitude towards challenge, progress, curiosity and collective efficacy.
Challenging Learning Process (CLP) at Highweek Primary School, England
- In every classroom, all students are now actively encouraged to examine their mistakes and talk about them in learning situations, compared with 55% who were encouraged to do this in 2016
- All students who were asked said they welcomed and enjoyed challenge and saw it as an exciting and positive opportunity for learning
- The Learning Pit is used across the school as a metaphor to embrace and work through challenges. This has created a school-wide shared language for describing the process and the dispositions needed for dealing with challenge
- At the start, 50% of students believed that abilities are grown and developed. A year later, this had increased to 80%. Students were also able to give reasons why they believed this
Three-year project with 52 schools in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Teachers and leaders are more systematically collecting and using student data to inform their decision-making around next steps for learning
- Students’ ability to express their learning goals has increased
- Students are now aware that learning is a process and have learned to use different strategies to reach their goals
- Staff are increasingly discussing pedagogical methods with their colleagues to improve learning
On-going CLP at Brechin High School, Scotland
- Students have recognised a change in the learning environment, being given opportunities to collaborate with each other more, and now expect to be challenged
- Education Scotland reported that an observed 26 of 27 lessons featured active learning (Feb 2018)
- 79% of students asked, could explain what they were learning, and referred to clear, shared learning intentions
- Staff have embraced teaching strategies that encourage reflection and thinking skills: “I am not scared of silence, I will ask a question and deliberately wait, to give them a chance to think” (teacher, May 2018)
On-going CLP with 17 schools, pre-schools & gymnasieskolor in Mönsterås, Sweden
- Staff are more open and willing to share practice and learn from each other. A shared language of learning is developing across the whole municipality
- Challenge is seen as a positive element in 75% of the classrooms. The Learning Pit is seen in more than 50% of the classrooms/pre-schools visited, and when asked, kids refer to it as a metaphor for learning
- In 66% of the lessons visited it can be seen that feedback has a positive impact on learning.
- The amount of classroom dialogue has increased in more than 50% of the visited classrooms and exploratory talk is now developing
Three-year CLP at Araluen Public School, Victoria, Australia
- 80% of staff now actively teach students how to learn. This is linked to their use of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria.
- Mistakes are embraced as a learning opportunity across the school.
- The Principal reports that, “Teachers are passionate and keen to improve their practice and are therefore extremely positive about being coached, understanding that it is not about judgement but about improvement.”
- The school’s performance was reviewed externally in May 2018: “Students in all classrooms articulated individual and class goals and reported that they enjoyed being challenged and improving from feedback.”
Contact us to see how we could impact your School
JAMES NOTTINGHAM
Consultant, Author, Keynote Speaker
This site represents two tradenames:
THE LEARNING PIT®
This trademark is held by James Nottingham (reg. No. 6.381.157) Uses of the Learning Pit for educational and not-for-profit purposes are usually permitted when seeking permission via this site.
CHALLENGING LEARNING
This is the name of the group of companies founded by James Nottingham (full details shown on the Contact Us page). It is also the name of his first book.