Written by Laura Stansfield, Primary Curriculum and Assessment Lead, Braeburn Schools, Kenya.

At Braeburn, we believe that building a connected and sustainable learning culture is central to the ongoing development of both students and staff. In our schools, we recognise that professional growth does not happen in isolation; it thrives when teaching teams are supported, connected and encouraged to learn from one another.  We complement our internal approach with a range of external support and platforms, ensuring our teams benefit from the latest expertise, resources and professional insights.   

Every half term we host a series of collaborative meetings, online, hybrid and in-person, that bring together staff from across our eleven schools for open, reflective discussions linked to their subject areas, key stages or roles. For more focused development, our Advanced Skills Teachers for Early Years meet with teams bi-weekly to support, guide and coach their colleagues. By investing in a culture that values professional dialogue and shared reflection, we continue to create an environment where high-quality teaching is both expected and enabled. 

A key driver of this culture is our approach to drop-ins, which are designed not as evaluative moments but as opportunities for conversation, reflection and growth. In a recent visit to one of our schools, fifteen Primary and Prep Assistant Headteachers carried out joint lesson observations. This experience challenged senior leaders to put professional noticing into practice; asking what they see, why it matters, how it aligns with school improvement priorities and what more they need to know. Through open dialogue, leaders challenged one another and engaged meaningfully with class teachers, who confidently shared their own reflections and questions. This resulted in a rich and authentic picture of daily teaching and learning. Similarly, this term our inclusion leaders visited a school at the foot of Mount Kenya, conducting drop-ins through an inclusion lens and applying the same reflective approach. This reinforces our message that improvement is a collective effort; something we do with staff, not to staff.  

Another important aspect of our collaborative work is developing staff through shared learning. Teachers across schools, phases and subjects have opportunities to observe effective practice, exchange ideas and explore strategies together. Follow-up sessions support staff to plan their next steps, refine key takeaways and consider implementation that fits the context of their school. Visits across the group have grown in both strength and popularity and when staff see themselves as learners, open to new thinking and committed to ongoing improvement, they model the very culture we aspire to instil in our pupils; Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens and Learners Enjoying Success (CIRCLES). 

The impact of this collaborative culture is evident in the co-created learning frameworks produced through our meetings. These frameworks outline shared expectations for high-quality teaching and assessment practice and are developed collectively by teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders. The co-creation process itself is a powerful learning experience: teachers’ voices are heard, their professional realities shape the direction of development and the final frameworks become tools that staff own. This shared ownership ensures greater clarity, consistency and empowerment. When teachers understand the ‘why’ behind our frameworks and feel invested in them, implementation is more effective, leading to stronger coherence and a deeper collective responsibility for high-quality learning. 

Ultimately, sustaining a high-performing learning culture requires continuous reflection, shared leadership and a willingness to learn from one another.  By protecting time for school visits, embedding supportive drop-ins, promoting shared professional learning and developing co-created frameworks, we continue to build a culture where teachers feel valued, students benefit from consistent and effective practice, and our whole school community moves forward together with a strong commitment to excellence.