North Ayrshire Professional Learning Academy, North Ayrshire Council

The North Ayrshire Professional Learning Academy evolved from council’s Attainment Challenge bid. Inspired by how the world’s best schools improve, the council wanted to close the poverty-related attainment gap by investing in practitioners. The Professional Learning Academy team undertook considerable research into how the best schools improve.

Ultimately, they felt that investing in the education workforce and teachers was important as it ensured that whatever they did and continue to do was sustainable and would improve the quality of learning and teaching, as well as attainment and achievement. The academy supports early years practitioners, primary and secondary teachers, speech and language therapists, and educational psychologists, to work and learn together to support and improve their skills.

It is clear that The North Ayrshire Professional Learning Academy is committed to and develops a collective responsibility for ‘learning of and for’ all and actively engage in professional dialogue about their own learning and learn with and from each other. The North Ayrshire Professional Learning Academy Captures the spirit of professional learning and collaborative professionalism.

“There is an outstanding culture of ‘Leadership of and for Learning’. This is evident from the bold, clear and aspirational vision for the quality of provision and importance of professional learning for all staff and the impact of this for all children and young people in North Ayrshire. The Professional Learning Academy is the physical manifestation of this vision and exemplifies the commitment to and value placed on professional learning.’” (Extract from GTCS panel report 2017)