Learning Walks: A guide for school leaders

What is a Learning Walk?

A Learning Walk is a short, purposeful visit to the classroom that reorients attention away from teacher performance and towards the real engine of schooling: the learning process itself. Rather than acting as a formal inspection, it becomes an informal opportunity to explore how students are interacting with ideas, how the lesson structure is supporting them, and how they’re engaging with content in meaningful ways.

When used well, Learning Walks open up professional conversations. Teachers can reflect on their choices, talk through what’s working, and share approaches that foster rich, authentic learning. It’s less about ticking boxes and more about understanding how thinking unfolds in real classrooms. At Structural Learning, we see this as central to building a culture of curiosity—where schools don’t just deliver curriculum, but nurture environments that help ideas stick.

Let’s be honest: traditional lesson observations can be anxiety-inducing. Often, they feel more like performances than reflections of everyday teaching. Teachers may feel pressured to stage a perfect lesson, which clouds the reality of what’s going on in the room. A Learning Walk, by contrast, removes that pressure. It redirects focus toward what learners are actually doing: how they’re engaging with information, how they’re working with concepts, and how the learning is being structured in real time.

Perhaps one of the most useful aspects is the chance for timely, grounded feedback. Rather than waiting for written reports, teachers can engage in immediate conversations—discussing what was noticed, what’s working well, and where tweaks might be made. It’s a shared inquiry, not a performance review.

From our perspective, what matters most isn’t whether a teacher ‘delivers’ a flawless lesson, but whether children are grappling with ideas in a meaningful way. Are they making links, organising knowledge, asking good questions? Are they making sense of the world around them through the learning experience? That’s the real measure of classroom quality. And when Learning Walks help us see that, they become one of the most valuable tools in school improvement—not because they measure, but because they reveal.

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Why Do We Use Learning Walks?

There’s no substitute for being in the room. Watching how learning actually unfolds in real classrooms offers insights that no spreadsheet or policy document can provide. For school and district leaders, Learning Walks offer a practical way to gather this kind of lived data—to see what’s working, what’s changing, and where further support might be needed.

These short visits often form the baseline for broader school development. They help teams understand current practice, identify areas for improvement, and build a clearer picture of how teaching and learning strategies play out over time. But the real power of Learning Walks lies in the conversations they spark—especially between teachers.

For teachers who are observing, the experience isn’t about judging others; it’s a chance to compare approaches, consider different techniques, and reflect on their own classroom practice. It’s in the follow-up discussions and shared reflections where the real professional growth happens. Teachers return to their classrooms with fresh perspectives and new ideas to try.

Here are some of the key benefits that schools often report:

• They help foster a culture of curiosity and inquiry among staff.
• They shine a light on what instruction looks like day to day, beyond what planning documents suggest.
• They reveal clear opportunities for coaching, mentoring, and professional development.
• They encourage purposeful conversations around what really matters—supporting pupils in meaningful learning.

By observing each other’s classrooms, teachers can begin to see curriculum delivery in new ways. These shared experiences create space for informed, respectful dialogue about how best to help students thrive. Rather than focusing on performance, Learning Walks become a tool for collaboration and growth.

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What Do We Look For During a Learning Walk?

A Learning Walk isn’t about catching people out—it’s about paying close attention to what’s happening in the classroom. These short, informal observations help senior leaders and colleagues focus on specific elements of teaching and learning, not with a clipboard full of checkboxes, but with curiosity and purpose.

At its best, a Learning Walk gives staff a window into the lived classroom experience. It offers a snapshot of what learning looks and feels like for students, and how teachers are shaping that experience. The feedback that follows isn't a final verdict—it’s a prompt for further reflection, discussion, and refinement.

Here are some of the most common things observers tend to focus on:

1. Lesson Content and Curriculum Alignment

In this focus area, leaders assess the quality and alignment of lesson content with curriculum standards. Observers may ask questions such as:

• What is the central topic being covered?
• Does the lesson content align with curriculum objectives?
• Is the content presented in a way that’s accessible and engaging to all students?

These questions help to evaluate whether students are receiving content-rich, standards-aligned instruction that supports their understanding and knowledge-building.

2. Pupil Engagement and Behaviour

This area focuses on gauging pupil engagement and understanding individual student behavior patterns. Effective learning walks identify students’ active participation and assess whether teaching strategies effectively engage all students. Observers might consider:

• Are students actively participating in tasks and discussions?
• Are students demonstrating focused and positive engagement?
• Is any particular student displaying notable behavioral patterns, either positively or negatively?

Focusing on engagement helps educators adjust their strategies, promoting a learning environment that motivates students and fosters a deeper learning process.

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3. Classroom Environment and Setup

Here, the emphasis is on how the physical layout and environment of the classroom support learning. Observers look at seating arrangements, visual displays, and resource accessibility to ensure an environment conducive to learning. Observational questions include:

• Is the seating arrangement conducive to collaboration and learning?
• Are examples of student work prominently displayed?
• Are educational resources accessible and supporting the day’s objectives?

A well-organized classroom environment fosters comfort, engagement, and encourages students to feel ownership of their learning space.

4. Alignment with Measurable Learning Objectives

This focus ensures that lessons have clear and measurable objectives that align with curriculum goals. Observers often look for visible learning objectives to ensure that both the teacher and students understand the purpose of the lesson. Key questions include:

• Are the day’s learning objectives clearly posted?
• Is lesson content effectively connected to these objectives?
• Are the goals both challenging and achievable, encouraging student growth?

A focus on measurable objectives allows students to understand the purpose of their learning, while giving teachers clear benchmarks to track progress and adjust instruction accordingly.

5. Collecting Evidence of Student Progress

During learning walks, observers gather evidence on how well students are progressing, which often includes noting teaching methods, instructional resources, and student responses. Observers might ask:

• What activities were students engaged in during the lesson?
• What types of questions did students ask, and how did the teacher respond?
• Which instructional strategies were most effective in engaging students?
• What learning materials and resources were used?

This evidence provides concrete insights into the learning process, helping educators refine their approach and meet student needs effectively.

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6. Collaborative Debrief and Reflective Practice

Following the learning walk, observers engage in a debrief session to discuss observations and insights. This phase is crucial for constructive reflection, where educators analyze teaching practices and provide feedback aimed at growth, not evaluation. During this debrief, it’s beneficial to set discussion norms focused on mutual respect and constructive input. Observers can share:

• Positive aspects of observed teaching practices
• Areas for potential improvement
• Suggestions for enhancing specific strategies

Reflective debriefs foster a culture of continuous improvement, allowing educators to refine their approaches based on peer insights.

7. Self-Reflection and Professional Development

The final step encourages educators to reflect on their practices and consider ways to implement new insights gained from the learning walk. They might reflect on questions like:

• What aspects of my teaching were reinforced during the observation?
• What questions or concerns did the observation raise about my teaching strategies?
• What new techniques or ideas do I plan to incorporate into my practice?

Engaging in regular self-reflection strengthens a teacher’s commitment to personal growth and helps maintain alignment with school-wide teaching goals. This reflective practice is crucial to developing a responsive, adaptive approach to teaching and learning check-ins.

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What Are Student-Centered Learning Walks?

Student-centered learning walks shift the focus away from watching the teacher and toward understanding the student experience. Instead of standing at the back of the room making notes, observers join students where they are—at their tables, in conversation, in the flow of learning. The goal is to listen, ask thoughtful questions, and gather real insights into how students experience their lessons.

This approach adds a human layer to what can sometimes feel like a formal observation. It gives observers a clearer view of how well a learning sequence is landing—what students understand, what they’re still unsure about, and how connected they feel to the content. It also supports a school environment where feedback is rooted in evidence gathered directly from learners, rather than assumptions or performance cues.

A few simple questions can open up meaningful dialogue:

• What are you learning today?
• Why do you think this topic matters?
• What did you do last time that connects to this?
• Does this lesson feel new or familiar to you?

These check-ins offer valuable glimpses into student engagement, retention, and the effectiveness of classroom routines. For the class teacher, this type of feedback feels less like a spotlight and more like a mirror—reflecting what students are really taking away from the lesson.

When built into a broader programme of learning walks, this method helps ensure individual feedback is grounded in student voice. It complements other tools like Teaching and Learning Check-Ins and encourages more responsive instructional practice, especially in busy secondary schools where it’s easy for the learner’s voice to get lost.

Ultimately, this student-first model supports continuous learning for everyone involved. It strengthens the link between classroom experience and professional reflection, while reinforcing a focus on school improvement without the high-stakes pressure that formal observation often brings

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How Do Learning Walks Benefit the Whole School?

When done well, Learning Walks don’t feel like inspections—they feel like opportunities. Their purpose isn’t to evaluate teachers or add pressure, but to develop a shared understanding of what great learning looks like across the school.

Rather than creating tension, Learning Walks help to build a more collaborative, open culture. Teachers aren't being judged; they’re inviting others into their classrooms to share what’s working. These informal visits become a core part of a school improvement strategy, supporting professional dialogue and encouraging staff to reflect on how their students are learning—not just what’s being taught.

Here’s what effective Learning Walks can offer:

• A chance for teachers to see different approaches in action and exchange ideas through follow-up conversations.
• A shift in mindset from performance to progress, where everyone is focused on how to improve learning, not on proving they’re doing everything right.
• The space to discuss classroom strategies, pupil engagement, and learning behaviours with senior leaders in a supportive, rather than evaluative, way.
• Clearer insights into where students are in their learning journeys—what they already understand and where they may need further support.

Over time, these observations create a richer picture of teaching and learning across the school. They provide context-specific insights that go beyond data, helping leaders understand how curriculum content is being interpreted, how learners are interacting with it, and what conditions are helping them thrive.

Some schools also use Learning Walks to facilitate “Teaching and Learning Check-Ins.” These offer a structured way for teachers and leaders to talk through what was seen, share feedback, and plan support. They’re not about performance management—they’re about building trust and learning from one another.

And because Learning Walks are flexible and informal, they can happen any time. This helps embed a culture where reflective practice is the norm—not just something saved for INSET days or review cycles. The goal is simple: to make teaching more visible, learning more transparent, and collaboration more meaningful.

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Purposeful approaches to regular learning walks

The benefits of learning walks are perceived to be for one of three purposes:

1. For Ethos and Behaviour Support

Here, leaders visit multiple lessons for a short period of time with a clear focus on building a picture of behaviours and work ethic. They check to see how things are going and try and build the idea that teachers are being supported rather than scrutinised, and that leaders have an interest in what is going on in class. These in many schools take place daily and routinely. Teachers expect support not feedback

2. For Teaching and Learning Check-Ins

These are typically longer and leaders possibly visit ¾ lessons within an hour. They take place to build a picture of how teaching and learning plans are being implemented, and the extent to which learners are effectively learning what is expected. They look to identify successes and barriers, often so that these can be followed up by coaches, and in more formal performance management. Ideally the information generated from such visits leads to and informs feedback into wider CPD processes.

3. For Accountability/compliance-focused

In these, lessons are visited specifically to check that things are happening as they are expected to be as a result of established policy and practice, and with a view to giving direct feedback about the degree of compliance. This is an approach that often reinforces a judgemental ethos, and a top-down approach. They are often regarded as unfair by the observed, because they are so short and relatively infrequent.

The second purpose, Teaching and Learning Check-Ins, supports a coaching model of observation and feedback. It is based upon a problem-solving approach, where listening, learning and problem-solving is the focus. Thus, this type of Learning Walk does not automatically lead to individual feedback, and is more likely to be part of, and used to inform, a wider process of observations undertaken by the leaders who act as coaches.

This form of Learning walk is explicitly unannounced, although any observation undertaken by a coach is more broadly planned with and anticipated by the teacher. They should not be confused with those observations and drop-ins associated with accountability or compliance, and any follow-up dialogue that refers to them must not result in the teacher feeling judged on the basis of a snapshot visit.

As Tom Sherrington in particular advocates:

THE TEST OF A HEALTHY LEARNING WALK CULTURE IS THAT TEACHERS WANT MORE OF THEM NOT FEWER!

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Developing your approach to learning walks

Ten minutes in the classroom is probably enough and gives a leader plenty of information so that it is simple to visit up to four lessons within an hour. It is important that no teacher feels over scrutinised, and that a programme of leader-planned visits, spread over time, is acceptable.

Regular learning walks are a useful strategy for information gathering, should be perceived as part of a learning process the school as an organisation, and as such, can be used to inform wider decision-making, based upon effective self-evaluation and understanding of the issues that may exist.

There is no need for there to be direct actions following such a drop-in. No feedback should be expected or given to individuals, but rather there should be a planned opportunity for dialogue with teachers through feedback discussions at a subsequent staff meeting. There should be precise praise as well as questions that probe and challenge practice and problems to be solved, as illustrated so well in Tom Sherrington’s Walk Thru Guides.

Some teachers may well have specific problems and need specific support, but it is important that learning walks are viewed separately from any ad hoc, critical, individual feedback to a few, and certainly no feedback from such an activity should ever be given by e-mail rather than be part of a professional conversation!

Where a teacher already has a coach or a mentor, it would be unhelpful for them to receive feedback from multiple sources. It would be better for a leader to give feedback on information from any learning walk to the coach, who can then address the issue as part of their ongoing, agreed professional development process. If no coach is engaged, then a simple chat about the lesson might feel less burdensome for a leader less involved with daily teaching.

Ideally, frequent, routine, learning walks, undertaken by people close to those they are observing, that feedback into coaching loops, are most productive. If we deviate from that model too much, the tensions between the support v. scrutiny cultures become much more apparent.

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Collecting evidence during lesson observations

Collect information on your travels informally and ask the following questions about what you see, as these are part of a wider picture of key concerns of leadership. These key questions can be used as part of your program of learning walks.

1. Is what the pupils are doing relevant and meaningful to them and do they know why they are being asked to do it? Are they able to make links with previous experience and are they given opportunities to do so explicitly?

……..or is an aspect of this a problem to be solved?

2. Is the environment organized in a way that really supports and enables the learning that is going on or is there more that could be done to improve this?

……..or is an aspect of this a problem to be solved?

3. Are the pupils able to demonstrate that they know how to operate as independent and effective learners or are they over dependent on the adults in the environment?

What are the problems in this context that exist in this classroom?

4. Is there anything here that is really supporting and enhancing the learning that needs to be shared more widely? Is there anything I have heard or seen that is not helpful to learners and learning and needs to be minimized or discussed with SLT as a concern?

5. Are the adults in the room teaching in ways that please an observer or in ways that really meet the needs of the learner? Is there evidence that within the learning sequences, they are specifically planning and providing opportunities for pupils to regularly RECAP, for them to PROVIDE NEW INPUT, for pupils to APPLY NEW LEARNING, for FEEDBACK to be exchanged?

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9 Tips for Conducting Learning Walks 

In the pursuit of enhancing educational environments, learning walks embody a strategic approach, serving as a cornerstone for school improvement plans.

These observational voyages, when conducted with a keen eye for detail and a strategic mindset, can yield insights pivotal for appraisals in schools, fostering a culture of continuous growth and development.

1. Strategize with Purpose: Begin by aligning the learning walk with the school's overarching improvement plan. Each observation should be a thread in the larger tapestry of school enhancement, seeking out specific examples from schools that exemplify excellence or areas ripe for development.
2. Cultivate a Constructive Model: Develop a model of observation that transcends mere scrutiny, focusing instead on evidence during lesson observations that can inform and inspire pedagogical evolution. This model should be rooted in a positive approach in school settings, aiming to uplift rather than criticize.
3. Policy as a Guiding Light: Establish a classroom observation policy that is transparent and supportive, ensuring that the process is seen as an opportunity for education in action, rather than a punitive measure. This policy should be well-communicated to all staff, emphasizing its role in education strategies and resource enhancement.
4. Engage the Senior Team: Involve the senior team in the learning walks to underscore the importance of shared leadership in school improvement. Their presence signifies a united front in the commitment to elevating educational standards.
5. Foster Healthy Dialogue: Use learning walks as a platform for open dialogue with teachers, encouraging an exchange of ideas and strategies that can be implemented across the school. This healthy learning environment promotes a sense of community and collective responsibility.
6. Embrace a Holistic View: Observe not just the teaching, but the learning environment as a whole. Look for how education resources are utilized, the dynamics of the staff team, and the overall atmosphere to gauge the health of the learning culture.
7. Document and Reflect: Keep meticulous records of observations, ensuring that they contribute to a living document that informs the school improvement plan. This reflection should be shared with the inspection team and used as a basis for appraisals in schools.
8. Institutionalize the Learning Walk Culture: Normalize learning walks within the school culture, making them a regular and anticipated part of the school calendar. This regularity helps to diminish anxiety and fosters an environment where feedback is routinely sought and given.
9. Actionable Follow-Up: Ensure that each learning walk is followed by actionable steps that are realistic and time-bound. Whether it's sharing best practices observed or addressing areas needing support, the follow-up is crucial in translating observations into tangible school improvements.

• Align walks with the school improvement plan
• Develop a supportive model of observation
• Policy transparency for education in action
• Senior team involvement for shared leadership
• Dialogue with teachers for healthy learning
• Holistic view of the learning environment
• Reflective documentation for continuous improvement
• Regularize the learning walk culture
• Actionable follow-up for tangible improvements

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Jenny Short coaches leadership teams in schools around the UK and sections of this article were extracted from her Inspir.ed Leader handbook.

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Further Reading on Learning Walks

Learning walks, when structured with a focus on reflective practice and collaboration, can enhance teacher engagement, support instructional improvement, and foster a school culture centered around continuous learning and feedback.

1. Participatory Learning Walks and Reflective Practice: Baker and King (2013) examined participatory learning walks as a tool for reflective practice in music education. The study highlights how learning walks encourage teacher reflection, promote collegial conversations, and enhance student learning through direct observation and engagement with students. Australian Journal of Music Education, 2013, pp. 35-45.
2. Building Capacity through Teacher Learning Walks: Allen and Topolka-Jorissen (2014) studied the adaptation of learning walks in a rural elementary school as a form of professional development. Findings show that these collaborative walks helped reduce teacher isolation, fostered a reflective school culture, and positively impacted student engagement by encouraging dialogue on instructional practices. Professional Development in Education, Vol. 40, pp. 822-837.
3. Walking Methodologies in Teacher Education: Franklin-Phipps and Gleason (2019) explored how walking methodologies, akin to learning walks, can serve as reflective practices in teacher education. They found that these walks helped pre-service teachers reflect on teaching and learning as historically situated processes, fostering a deeper engagement with pedagogical practices. Journal of Public Pedagogies.
4. Advancing Reflective Practice with the Three-Minute Walk-Through: Downey (2010) introduced a reflective model of classroom walk-throughs, emphasizing reflective inquiry over direct feedback. This model encouraged a culture of self-reflection and professional growth, aiming to integrate reflective practice as a core aspect of teacher development. SAGE Publications.
5. Learning Walks for Visible Teaching and Learning: Lemons and Helsing (2009) documented two school districts' experiences with implementing learning walks. The study illustrates how these walks, when embedded into school routines and focused on reflective dialogue, can help teachers connect with classroom practices and enhance pupil engagement. Phi Delta Kappan Magazine, Vol. 90, pp. 478-484.

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