In the evolving landscape of education, peer review has emerged as a powerful tool for fostering collaboration, enhancing teaching practices, and improving student outcomes. By embracing a culture of shared responsibility and continuous improvement you can harness the collective wisdom of their peers to tackle challenges and drive meaningful change. 

Schools have arranged their own peer review processes, but are not consistent, focused, or rigorous enough to drive real improvement. Without a structured framework, peer review can turn into a rehearsal for inspections without critical feedback. This is why effective training and a shared framework are crucial. A well-designed peer review model like the SPP ensures that schools receive constructive, research-informed feedback, leading to meaningful and sustainable improvements.

Peer review often only involves headteachers or senior leaders, meaning that after the review, not much changes at the classroom level. Without a clear structure and process to involve all staff in school improvement, the potential for meaningful impact is limited. For peer review to be effective, teachers and other school staff need opportunities to visit each other’s schools, observe practice, and collaborate on improvement initiatives. This hands-on engagement fosters professional growth, builds trust, and enables teachers to implement new strategies with confidence. 

For partnerships to be truly collaborative and transformative, there must be an emphasis on joint practice development rather than a model where improvement is done to schools without working together. This is when external parties dictate what needs to change without involving those closest to the work.

Peer review should create a space for educators to co-construct solutions, ensuring that all participants contribute actively to the process and that changes are embedded within the school culture. 

How the SPP works 

The SPP follows a structured process to ensure that peer review is both meaningful and impactful: 

1. Schools set the focus: unlike traditional inspections, peer review is school-led. The host school decides the focus, what evidence to collect, and who will be involved. 
2. Pre-review discussions: schools meet with reviewers to discuss goals and evidence-gathering strategies. 
3. Review day: peers visit the school, observe lessons, and speak to staff and students. 
4. Feedback session: rather than providing judgments, reviewers share findings and encourage reflection in a professional dialogue of reciprocal learning. 
5. Improvement workshop: schools hold a facilitated session to develop solutions collaboratively with staff at all levels. 

This process ensures that schools are working collaboratively rather than having something done to them, a core principle that differentiates peer review from traditional accountability measures. 

“It's very much lateral, not hierarchical. It’s always about the school improving, not proving anything... Schools are asked to be really vulnerable, which is actually much harder than having an external inspector come in.”  -  Lesley Coulthurst, Head of The Anthem Institute.

By fostering openness and trust, the SPP enables schools to engage in genuine self-improvement rather than compliance-driven processes. 

Findings from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Evaluation 

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) found with their independent evaluation that the SPP delivers significant benefits for participating schools. The evaluation highlighted that the SPP: 

• develops stronger partnerships, trust, and ownership of change

• establishes clear structures and processes for collaboration that are rigorous and transparent 

• enhances the skills of staff and leaders to drive sustainable school improvement 

• empowers teachers and leaders with coaching and facilitative tools to take evidence-based actions. 

Many of the benefits were significant in schools with higher levels of deprivation. Following participation in the programme: 

91% of school leaders rated the SPP framework, training, and materials as being of very high quality. 

These findings reinforce the effectiveness of the SPP’s structured approach to peer review, which not only strengthens partnerships but builds capacity within schools for long-term, sustainable improvement. 

Building a culture of trust, learning, and sustainable improvement 

Peer review, when implemented with purpose, structure, and integrity, is far more than a quality assurance mechanism. It is a catalyst for meaningful school improvement, professional growth, and system-wide resilience. The SPP exemplifies how a well designed, school-led model can transform peer review into a collaborative process rooted in trust, enquiry, and shared responsibility. 

Shifting the focus from external accountability to internal capacity-building, peer review empowers educators at all levels to take ownership of their school’s development. It creates space for open dialogue, shared learning, and joint action not just for improvement, but for sustained excellence. In a world where schools face ever-evolving challenges, peer review offers a hopeful and practical solution  that strengthens leadership, builds collective efficacy. Creating a culture where continuous learning is the norm, not the exception. 

Harnessing the collective power of peer review is not just an educational strategy it is a commitment to a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient education system. Where every school, teacher, and learner has the support they need to thrive. 

“It’s a shift from looking at ‘my school’ to ‘our schools.’ It’s about that collective responsibility for improving outcomes for all children.” - Lesley Coulthurst Kyra Alliance. 

Join the schools benefitting from the SPP now 

For more information, explore the following resources: 

• Brighter Futures Podcast 
• UCL Knowledge Exchange 
• Education Endowment Foundation