Tea & Teaching: Session 1

A New Chapter in Professional Learning at Scarborough College

By Alfonso Iannone, Deputy Head (Teaching & Learning) and Head of English

Just before our half-term break, I was thrilled to launch our new staff-led Teaching & Learning Interest Group – Tea & Teaching – and what a fantastic start it was.

Our first session focused on adaptive teaching, bringing together colleagues from various departments in the Senior School to reflect on classroom realities and share practical strategies to meet the needs of all learners. It was inspiring to see teachers from different subjects and phases engaging in thoughtful professional dialogue, united by a shared commitment to excellence in teaching.

What made the session particularly valuable was its balance between research-informed thinking and concrete classroom application. Drawing on current educational research, colleagues explored what adaptive teaching looks like in practice: how we check for understanding, adjust explanations in the moment, scaffold thinking without lowering expectations, and ensure that challenge remains high for every pupil.

This blend of evidence and experience is exactly what Tea & Teaching is designed to foster — a professional space where ideas are not only discussed, but tested, refined and translated into meaningful classroom impact.

A Rich Range of Learning Topics

This is just the beginning. We have a further nine sessions planned, with topics that build thoughtfully on one another, including:

• Adaptive Teaching: How do we respond to learners’ needs in real time?
• Scaffolding: How do we support learning without reducing challenge?
• Cognitive Load & Dual Coding: How can lesson design support working memory?
• Retrieval Practice: How do we strengthen long-term learning?
• Metacognition: How do we develop independent learners?
• Formative Assessment & Feedback: How does feedback improve learning?
• Questioning & Dialogue: How do questions deepen thinking?
• Modelling & Worked Examples: How do we make expert thinking visible?
• Literacy Across the Curriculum: How do we develop disciplinary language?
• Evidence-Informed Culture: How do we sustain improvement over time?

Colleagues have already begun suggesting further themes, reflecting the enthusiasm and shared ownership that characterise this initiative. Admittedly, as an English specialist, I was baiting the Maths department into requesting Numeracy Across the Curriculum as a further topic and they didn’t disappoint! Other requests came in for sessions on the purposeful use of various technologies in the classroom, so this clearly has piqued the interest of colleagues.

Looking Ahead: Scaffolding for Independence

Our next session will focus on scaffolding by examining how we can provide the right level of support at the right time, while gradually removing it to build confidence, independence and resilience. As with our first session, the emphasis will be on practical strategies that teachers can implement immediately.

A Note of Thanks

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to such a positive and thoughtful launch. The energy in the room was a powerful reminder of the strength of our professional community.

We look forward to seeing Tea & Teaching continue to grow as a vibrant forum for collaboration, reflection and best practice at Scarborough College.

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