ABSTRACT
It is important for leaders at all levels to have a shared understanding of good teaching and this means that teaching is something which should be discussed at every opportunity. In schools where teaching and learning are the highest priorities – as they should be in all schools – what makes good teaching is regularly discussed at meetings of senior leaders, governors, staff and, above all, in subject team or department meetings. An inexperienced middle leader may attempt to follow Ofsted guidance as closely as possible, for example, and thus end up with a fairly narrow definition of good teaching. It is important, therefore, for leaders to develop their own ideas based on all the evidence available and after a great deal of discussion at all levels both in and beyond school. Ultimately, however, whether a lesson is good or not is fairly obvious: most teachers recognise good teaching.
