Listen to a Head Teacher and Class Teachers talk about Lesson Study

Collaborative professional development with pupils’ learning at its heart

Helps teachers to run their own professional development to meet their pupils’ needs

Three teachers work together to plan, teach and observe cycles of three lessons. They research the impact on pupils and share their learning with colleagues. They are supported by an expert ECC Trainer. ECC Lesson Study has been developed by Edge Hill University, building on its extensive research programme funded by the Education Endowment Foundation.

ECC Lesson Study helps schools to:

  • provide the opportunity for ‘good’ teachers to become ‘outstanding’
  • share good practice amongst staff
  • develop leaders of professional development
  • implement your school development plan

ECC Lesson Study helps teachers to:

  • design lessons that engage your pupils in learning
  • deepen your subject knowledge
  • identify more effective teaching strategies
  • become more astute observers of your pupils
  • build supportive collegial relationships and enrich your professional lives

Lesson Study gave me the opportunity to really see what is happening in my classroom and how children are learning. It has been absolutely invaluable.

Nik Hudson, Assistant Headteacher, Marland Hill CommunityPrimary School, Rochdale

How does it work?

The ECC Trainer has an initial meeting with the Headteacher to help to prepare for Lesson Study.

As a school, you choose a research focus that fits your development plan and you identify one or more groups of three teachers to take part. The teachers work together to plan, teach and observe a Lesson Study cycle of three lessons, analysing their impact on pupils. They run three cycles over the year and share their learning with colleagues.

The bespoke training had a direct impact on learning and whole-school improvement. CPD will never be the same!

Adam Vasco, Assistant Headteacher, St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School, Liverpool

Training and support

Training is delivered in-school by an ECC Trainer, after a preparatory discussion with the Head Teacher.

  • a full day of training for the Lesson Study teachers
  • the Lesson Study process
  • putting the research focus into practice
  • supportive observation of a Lesson Study lesson
  • two follow-up sessions
  • refining the Lesson Study process
  • evaluating and sharing the lessons learnt with colleagues
  • detailed handbooks
  • phone and e-mail support

Two training and support packages are available to schools:

Lesson Study only. The Trainer provides training in the Lesson Study process. The school chooses its own research focus and the

Trainer helps the teachers to turn this into questions that can be investigated through Lesson Study.

This package includes all of the above elements.

Lesson Study with subject knowledge. The Trainer provides training in the Lesson Study process. The school has agreed a research focus with the Trainer, who provides related professional development for the Lesson Study teachers to help them to get started with the research.

This package includes all of the above elements AND two additional

Further Information:

See an example of a Lesson Study cycle here.

Charges for 2019/20

Lesson Study only (preparatory discussion, 1 training day, 2 follow-up sessions, 1 Lesson Study lesson observation) £1,800.

Lesson Study with subject knowledge (preparatory discussion, 1 training day, 2 follow-up sessions, 1 Lesson Study lesson observation, 2 additional mathematics professional development sessions) £2,400.

Training for additional schools (additional schools join the scheduled training days and sessions and each receives a separate Lesson Study lesson observation) £500 per school.

How do we get it?

You can book training for one or more groups of three teachers in your school, by contacting the ECC team on please contact the ECC team on [email protected] or 01695 657133.

You can reduce the cost by sharing the training with up to 5 other schools. An ECC Trainer will contact you to arrange dates and a preparatory discussion with the Head Teacher.

In 2013-2015, Edge Hill University completed a high level lesson study research programme which included 75 research schools and 75 control schools funded by the Education Endowment Foundation; the findings will be announced in 2017.

Read more about Supporting School Improvement through Lesson Study.

Specific features of the Every Child Counts programme are:

  • a focus on a research question that links to the schools’ development plan;
  • the selection of two ‘case’ pupils, identified by their class teachers because of concerns about underachievement / insufficient progress and issues regarding the pupils’ response to classroom teaching;
  • the involvement of a teacher with specialist subject expertise working alongside class teachers (for example as the school’s subject leader for mathematics, as an Advanced Skills Teacher or as a specialist intervention teacher).