Lesson visits procedure 2025-2026

1. Aims and Objectives

1.1 Introduction – purposes of lesson visits

The review of the quality of learning through lesson visits is a key element of Newcastle City Learning’s quality assurance process. Lesson visits provide important evidence to support judgements about the quality of learning experiences and to identify where development activity is needed to support improvement in teaching learning and assessment performance. It helps us to monitor progress towards our key priority of delivering a high and consistent standard of teaching, learning and assessment, deepening learning and widening the application of skills and increasing learner independence.

The collection of evidence and resultant reports provides the service with valuable information to inform continuous improvement and development of teacher practice.

Lesson visits are intended to be developmental in nature and can support the professional development of our curriculum delivery staff, and thus improve the quality of the overall learner's experience.

1.2 The aim and purpose of the review of learning through lesson visits and learning walks

The key aim of this procedure is to ensure that students at Newcastle City Learning receive the highest of standards and best quality learning experiences, to ensure that they can fulfil their potential.

To achieve this aim, Newcastle City Learning will continue to assess the quality of the learning experience through the collection of a wide range of evidence. Collection of evidence through lesson visits is just one of the pieces of evidence which is used to judge the quality of the learner experience.

Overall, the aim of lesson visits is to establish a realistic picture of the quality of the learning experiences, to challenge under-performance to ensure that we raise standards, and support the strategic goal to provide outstanding teaching, learning and assessment and eliminate inadequate learning experiences for all learners.

2. Scope

All staff engaged in the delivery of learning activities.

Key search words for this document - Observation, teaching and learning, lesson visits, learning walks.

3. Procedure

Key Features

Newcastle City Learning has a wide-ranging approach to the review of the quality of the learning experiences of our students. Lesson visits and learning walks are a part of a wider process in collecting evidence to help us judge the quality of our provision.

3.1 Lesson Visits

Our focus is firmly on improving learning opportunities by providing excellent leadership and support and expecting excellence from all our curriculum delivery staff. Newcastle City Learning expects all curriculum delivery staff to deliver good or better learning opportunities for our students. Lesson visits allow us to observe and challenge through professional dialogue, and to gain learner feedback in relation the quality of learning sessions at NCL. They also give our Advanced Practitioner Team an opportunity to have a professional dialogue with the teacher about their practice and the challenges they face as teachers. Advanced Practitioners can provide good quality constructive feedback to teachers on how they might improve the quality of the learner experience in the future.
We judge the quality of learning based on research on effective teaching as identified from the Education Inspection framework: overview of research (Ofsted, January 2019, no 180045) and a range of evidenced based knowledge about good learning. Advanced Practitioners have demonstrated good or outstanding classroom practice themselves and have undertaken extensive research to gain a wealth of knowledge on evidence based best practices.
During Lesson visits the Advanced Practitioner will watch learning taking place, undertake a professional dialogue with the teacher to identify their thinking when planning learning activities, review any learning materials used, and talk to the learners to identify their current understanding within the lesson and overall progress from their starting points.
Advanced Practitioners will be asked to provide a judgement as to whether the quality of learning meets the minimum standard of good and engaging learning.
Training will be given to all those involved in the process, to ensure that they fully understand the standards, and how to help others to improve.
Constructive feedback will be provided to teachers for consideration in helping them to improve their practice and the quality of the learning experience. Advanced Practitioners will adopt a coaching approach. Teachers are asked to reflect and evaluate their own performance in the classroom as part of the process. Advanced Practitioners will offer guidance and suggested strategies which may improve student engagement and progress, but teachers must ultimately decide how their practice will be amended to move forward.
Staff are encouraged to reflect on their own practice and performance, and to manage their own continuous development and improvement. Reflective practice and self-awareness are an integral part of the process.
However, when the quality of the lesson falls below that of a good and engaging lesson, the member of staff will be informed and provided with a development plan to support further reflection and improvement in practice. The teacher can then opt to work with a mentor or coach to further execute that development plan.
Where there are concerns about the quality of the delivery seen, this will be discussed with the tutor's line manager and a support plan created to help that tutor move forward.

3.2 What can be reviewed?

All timetabled teaching and learning sessions, including face to face and online.
Full cost sessions.
One-to-one learner progress reviews.
Off the job training.
Tripartite progress reviews within apprenticeship provision.
The effective use of Learning Support Officers.
Information and guidance sessions.
Effective use of Learning Support Assistant in lessons.
All activities where teaching, learning and assessment is taking place may be reviewed. The aim being to evaluate the quality of the learning experience, which will be influenced by various factors, including the learner’s work, planning documentation, attendance and retention rates, and the quality of learner progress made.
The Head of Newcastle City Learning reserves the right to observe any learning session, at any time, with or without notice if feedback has been received of poor performance and lessons not meeting the NCL expected standards of delivery.
Outcomes from Lesson Visits and Learning Walks will be reported to the Advisory Board, Performance sub-committee, who have a responsibility to support the delivery of high-quality education experiences on behalf of the residents of the city.
All newly appointed staff (substantive) will be observed during their induction period to ensure that they are working to the standards required by the service. All new staff to the service will also receive mentor support to ensure that they understand the standards required at NCL for good and outstanding teaching, learning and assessment.

3.3 The Management of the process

The framework for the operation of review of learning activities will be established by the Head of Newcastle City Learning and managed by the Senior Lead for Learner Services. A central record will be held of all Lesson visits and Learning Walks conducted within the service, including judgements on the quality of the learner experiences seen. All those undertaking Lesson visit and Learning walks must inform the Senior Lead for Learner Services of the date and outcomes of any visits made to lessons so a central record can be maintained and data collected to inform the service's self-assessment process.
Curriculum Leads and Managers will be responsible for ensuring staff compliance with the College procedures. In addition, they will be responsible for reporting to the Head of Newcastle City Learning on the outcomes of lesson visits during routine performance review meetings, and for ensuring that both individual and team professional development needs are met.
Curriculum Managers will provide support for improvement through an appropriate CPD programme, including the use of teaching and learning mentors to support improvement in practice.
Curriculum Managers will discuss any outcomes of lesson visits and other quality assurance activities with teachers at their annual appraisal meetings including any need for any additional support to improve classroom practices.
Curriculum Managers will hold a short follow up meeting after lesson visit feedback to both congratulate tutors on good performance and to pick up on any additional developmental needs.

3.4 Procedure – Lesson Visits

All teaching staff will receive at least one Lesson Visit per academic year. In addition, Curriculum Managers may carry out additional Learning Walks to check the quality of sessions within their own areas of responsibility.
All teachers will be provided with a minimum of one week’s notice of any planned lesson visits. Lesson visits will be undertaken over an allocated period of one week. The observer may visit any of the lessons being delivered during that one-week period.
Individual lesson visits should be for a minimum of 30 mins but no longer than 60 minutes in duration.
At the beginning of the lesson visit, the member of staff should give the Advanced Practitioner access to a scheme of learning, an up to date Group profile, and appropriate evidence of effective planning for learning for the session, copies of any materials to be distributed to students, course work completed by the student group and any other materials which will assist the Advanced Practitioner in understanding the context of the session.
Advanced Practitioners will conduct a professional dialogue with the teacher to understand the context of the learning session and how the teacher has planned to maximise learning during the session.
Advanced Practitioners will talk to students and may look at students’ work and give them the opportunity to give feedback on their learning experience and their individual progress in learning, where appropriate.
On occasion, it may be necessary to have two people visiting one session as a means of standardisation, or for training purposes.

3.5 Giving feedback

A professional dialogue should take place immediately after the lesson where appropriate, if not immediately, within 48 hours where practical, but at least within 7 days where other factors do not allow a quicker meeting to take place. It may be necessary to agree a time for the discussion to take place later, particularly where the visit does not extend to the end of the session, or where the teacher only comes into college for a short period of time within a week. Feedback sessions may take place online if agreed prior by the tutor as an acceptable alternative to a face-to-face meeting.
Teachers will be encouraged to reflect and identify the strengths and areas for further development within their own session. Reflective practice is an essential component of the reflective teacher. Detailed, constructive feedback will also be offered to the teacher within 12 days of the visit.
The feedback should clearly indicate both the strengths within the session and where appropriate, how the quality of learning could be improved further. In the case of outstanding practice, this feedback might include how the individual might share this practice with others.
It is the responsibility of all parties to ensure that this timescale is adhered to wherever possible.
Copies of the completed Lesson visit documentation will be sent by the Advanced Practitioner to the teacher, their direct line manager, and to Michelle Ashley for our service central records.
Curriculum Managers will set up a follow up meeting with the tutor to discuss the outcome of the lesson visit and notes will be made in the interim My Conversation document. The tutor may ask for appropriate CPD to assist them to develop further their practice, particularly in respect of areas for development identified through the process. This may also include an opportunity to visit other practitioner’s lessons across the service where good practice has been identified.
The follow up meeting with the tutor's direct line manager should take place within 1 month of the lesson visit.
The Curriculum Manager may ask about the impact of previous CPD at the following My Conversation meeting.
This evidence will be used to inform the self-assessment report for the service.

3.6 Follow-up Lesson Visits

Where it is felt that the standard of teaching, learning and assessment seen has fallen short of the standard expected (good or better), a development plan or an action plan will be put into place following the visit by their curriculum manager. The teacher will be offered the support of a different Advanced Practitioner who will offer further support to that teacher to help move their practice forward.
In these instances, a further lesson visit will be undertaken to measure the impact of the support provided in eight weeks’ time.
Tutors who fail to meet the required standard of education for our learners in three lessons visited will trigger the Newcastle City Council performance management procedures. This process will be instigated and facilitated by the Curriculum Manager in liaison with HR support.
Tutors must then demonstrate sustained improvement in performance.

3.7 Accountability

The outcomes of all lesson visits will be analysed by the relevant Curriculum Leads and Managers. Managers will analyse the outcomes to agree appropriate CPD support for staff to further improve performance and ensure a good learning experience for all learners.
Where best practice has been identified, Curriculum Managers should arrange to disseminate this through the Teaching, Learning and Assessment regular update meetings.
Unsatisfactory performance in the classroom will be challenged. Continuous under-performance will result in staff being placed on the Council’s disciplinary procedure, if under-performance continues for a prolonged period of time.

3.8 Learning Walks

In addition to scheduled lesson visits, supportive learning walks may be undertaken by those responsible for developing the curriculum. These may be around key themes, such as attendance or student behaviour. Learning Walks may have a key focus around an area of pedagogy such as questioning and are supportive and developmental in nature. Following a learning walk 1:1 feedback will be given along with appropriate suggestions for development. Learning walks will also be used to identify good practice within Departments. Learning walks will be carried out by either Curriculum Managers or Curriculum Quality Leads.
Learning Walks should be undertaken in a supportive and professional manner. Findings from learning walks may be used as the basis of professional discussion about teaching and learning at team meetings and used as a basis for general improvements to the learner's experience.

3.9 Peer observations/peer learning

Newcastle City Learning encourages all teachers to take part in peer learning sessions to enhance professional development. The focus of learning for both the members of staff should be agreed by both parties and should be based upon sharing best practice. Watching other high-performing teachers is one of the most impactful methods of learning for teachers.
Paperwork used for supportive Learning Walks would also provide an appropriate way of recording activities undertaken during such visits. Peer learning is a very valuable way of developing your practice as a professional teacher. Both parties will gain much from the process.

Appendix 1 - Lesson Visits and Learning Walks central management

A database of lesson visit and learning walk activities will be held centrally and will be managed by the Senior Lead – Learner Services. The Senior Lead will lead the development and maintenance of the service’s central records and evidence base – which support the writing of the NCL Self-Assessment report annually. This will also give the senior leadership team an overview of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment at any point in time.
The database will ensure that all teaching staff are visited at least once per academic year to ensure the monitoring of the quality of learning activities within the service.
The central record will collect details of the number of lesson visits/learning walks undertaken each year. It will also detail who has undertaken lesson visits, to help us ensure a fair and consistent approach and to ensure mentoring duties are undertaken by a different member of the team.
The central record will also record high level details of key strengths and weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment.
The Senior Lead – Learner Services will allocate the required activities to be undertaken in liaison with the Curriculum Managers. The Senior Lead – Learner Services will issue notice to teachers when such activities are due to take place, giving members of staff the required notice period for visits to take place.
Curriculum Managers will be required to report the findings of such activities at their curriculum performance review meetings with the senior team.

Updated September 2025.