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Biography

I’m Harry Fletcher-Wood: I’ve been a history teacher, an educational researcher and a leader of professional development.

Currently, I am:

• Supporting Steplab‘s work improving teaching by designing training materials and courses, such as the Coaching Skill Builder and the Certificate in Coaching Leadership.
• Designing training. Recently, this has included designing a course for middle managers in prison (Unlocked’s Changemakers course) and developing a course for aspiring public leaders for Civic Future.
• Researching and writing. Most recently this has included a meta-analysis of professional development in the developing world, a study of modelling in teacher training, and a book on effective practice in prisons. I am finishing a book on effective teacher development and planning my next, on change in English schools over the last twenty years.
• Helping schools improve teaching through my writing and the resources I’ve created around responsive teaching and habit of success – more here

Short CV:

2006 Assistant Language Teacher, Japan
2007 Teacher, rural India
2008 History teacher, Enfield
2012 Head of history, head of professional development, Woolwich
2015 Associate Director, Research Evaluation and Impact, Teach First
2016 Associate Dean, Institute for Teaching/Ambition Institute
2021 Head of School Surveys, Teacher Tapp & Director of Training, Steplab
2025 Director of Training, Steplab

I started writing about improving my own teaching in 2013, and improving teaching has remained the theme of this blog ever since.

Books

• Habits of success how we can get every student learning, using behavioural science.
• Responsive Teaching: a practical guide to using cognitive science and formative assessment effectively.
• Ticked Off, on using checklists in the classroom

My next book, Improving Teaching, will be a guide for teacher educators in effective teacher development. You can find out more here. The two subsequent books should be a narrative guide to teaching (like this) and a book about change in English schools over the last twenty years.

Click the images to learn more:

Translations:

• Dutch: De kracht der gewoonte
• Spanish: Hábitos para una escuela exitosa

Translations:

• Czech: Responzivní výuky
• Spanish: Enseñanza receptiva
• Swedish: Responsiv undervisning

Papers

Fletcher-Wood, H. and Zuccollo, J., (2020). The effects of high-quality professional development on teachers and students: a rapid review and meta-analysis. Education Policy Institute. (Paper).

Sims, S., & Fletcher-Wood, H. (2021). Identifying the characteristics of effective teacher professional development: a critical review. School effectiveness and school improvement, 32(1), 47-63. (Article, working paper, summary)

Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O’Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What Are the Characteristics of Effective Teacher Professional Development? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. (Paper, guidance report, summary)

Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., Godfrey-Fausset, T., & Meliss, S. (2023). Modelling evidence-based practice in initial teacher training: causal effects on teachers’ skills, knowledge and self-efficacy. Ambition Institute. (Paper, summary)

Working with me

I’ve worked with schools, charities, national governments and international organisations to improve teaching, designing training and conduct research. This has included:

• Helping individual schools improve teaching and learning
• Designing training programmes for middle leaders in prisons and aspiring public leaders
• Supporting national professional development reform projects in Croatia, Estonia and Wales
• Conducting research and writing papers and reports on assessment, feedback and teacher development

I present very occasionally as a keynote, workshop leader, and panellist, at local, national and international events.

I’m always happy to be asked to do things, but my capacity is currently limited, as I balance work commitments and bringing up three young children. If you’re looking for someone to lead training in your school, I’m likely to nudge you towards this site. It contains videos showing most of the training I have done for schools, it will cost you less than a day of my time, and it gives all your staff access for a full year instead of a single day.

I’m very happy to have a quick chat about whatever you’re working on and offer advice – please get in touch. I’m mostly likely to say yes to a project if you have a clear sense what you’re trying to achieve, you have a good idea how I can help, and there’s substantial new learning involved for me.

Contact

If you want to ask something, suggest something, or get in touch, please do!
Twitter: @hfletcherwood
Email: harry [at] improvingteaching [dot] co [dot] uk
Contact form:

Smallprint

This blog is personal and reflects my opinions only.  Consequently, I don’t accept guest posts, press releases or promotional material.

This site uses Amazon affiliate links.  This means I may receive a commission on any purchases you make, at no cost to you.

Comments on the site need to be constructive – to add something to the debate in some way – for me to approve them.

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