skip to main content
NEW! Tongue Fu Talking - A fully-resourced Oracy Framework

Judging the Quality of Education Through Lesson Observations

A video course exploring 12 principles of effective teaching and 30 areas of focus to choose from for lesson observations.

chris_cutout
Created and Led by
Chris Quigley
Duration
Typical study time 4 - 6 hours
Target Audience
Head Teachers, Teachers, Deputy Heads, Senior Leaders, Curriculum Leaders, Subject Leaders, Senior & Middle Leaders

Learn about:

How lesson observations can be used within the context of the Ofsted framework to help judge the quality of education. Using 12 principles, Chris will give you a comprehensive overview of the research Ofsted has used to create its inspection framework and provide 30 areas of focus for you to choose from when observing lessons.

  • Explore 12 principles of effective teaching and Learning
  • A menu of 30 things to look at lessons
  • Based on the latest research into effective teaching
  • Referenced to the latest inspection framework

Why this course is relevant or important:

This is an evidence-informed course which explores the research Ofsted used to create its current inspection framework.  it covers:

  • The research Ofsted has used in creating its framework
  • The implications for classroom practice
  • Examples of what to look at in lessons
  • CPD ideas to help you develop teachers’ expertise.

Advance your understanding of:

  • Long-term memory and the importance of prior knowledge in a teaching sequence.
  • Why it is that some things are easier for students to learn than others and how teaching approaches need to take account of this.
  • How cognitive load theory can be incorporated into decisions about teaching
  • Why novices think differently to experts and how this can affect progression
  • The importance of appropriate tasks
  • The role of processing in helping students to remember curriculum content
  • Techniques to reduce extraneous cognitive load, including teacher input and the learning environment
  • Features of effective feedback (also with reference to workload)
  • How assessment should relate to your curriculum intent
  • How assessment must be useful and not lead to burdensome workload
  • Effective in-lesson adaptations
  • The role of subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in effective teaching.

Take away:

  • 30 Practical ‘What to look at’ in lessons prompts, all condensed into a simple ‘cheat sheet’
  • Many examples that show you what to look out for in lessons
  • CPD ideas to help you to develop teacher expertise
  • A comprehensive reading list to further your understanding of the key principles.

Individual & Group Access

1-5 users
£375
6-20 users
£500
21-50 users
£650
51-100 users
£800
100+ users
Enquire

The prices above are the total amount you will pay for your group plus VAT.

Just select Pay by Invoice and enter the required information.

You have 30 days to pay your invoice.

If your selected date to access the course is prior to 30 days we will still grant you access to the course and your invoice is payable in line with our Terms and Conditions.

If you have selected 1-5 delegates, for example, but you only enter the details of 2 of the delegates now, you will have the option to add additional delegates via your CQE account up until 48 hours prior to your requested course start date.

Pay by Invoice
Evidence Informed
Evidence Informed
All our courses are based on peer-reviewed research.
Practical and inspiring
Practical and inspiring
We bridge the gap between evidence and practice.
Versatile environments
Versatile environments
We offer a choice between on-demand and live courses.

A super combination of pedagogy and practical application. I did this course in February and have just revisited it in preparation for the new school year.  Great for challenging thinking from what some of us may well have trained in and believed in the past.

Helen Calpin

A really useful course. I particularly like how the principles are put into practice through the presentation. I am looking forward to unpicking the different areas in more detail over the next 2 weeks - and refining our assessment and lesson observation procedures as well as revisiting Rosenshine’s principles with staff.

Katherine Rawes

Made me really think ‘how good is our curriculum?’ Formulating a really strong action plan was useful.

Very structured approach with lots of useful ideas to support curriculum review and how we monitor its impact. A very useful and thought provoking day. Thank you!

All excellent!

Excellent course – lots of food for thought!

Breaking down the 'Quality of Education' criteria into 6 areas. Helps to focus in on where we need to go to next.

Great enthusiasm and clear information and strategies.

So clearly broken up. Exactly where we are and what we need to focus on.

An opportunity to reflect on current practice and consider alternative approaches. Tools to adapt our curriculum.

Clarity on curriculum approach. Lots of tips and questions to take back and use to improve our practice.

Keeping us up to date and moving our thinking forward. Thank you, OFSTED loved ‘it’ (your approach).

The whole day was great – an opportunity to gain insight into ‘another way’. Links to the new framework and the subject specific references were useful.

Latest from the Blog

Oracy and Metacognition: Why Talk Is Thinking Made Visible
Oracy and Metacognition: Why Talk Is Thinking Made Visible
24th Apr 2026
There is a persistent misconception in schools that oracy is about performance. Clear voice. Confident delivery. Polished presentation.That is part of it.But it comes later.Before students can present ideas, they have to form them. And that process is not silent. It is shaped through talk.This is where oracy and metacognition meet.
Why Occasions For Talk Are Not The Same As a System For Improving Talk
Why Occasions For Talk Are Not The Same As a System For Improving Talk
11th Apr 2026
Many schools are increasing opportunities for students to talk through presentations, debates and podcasts. This is a positive shift. However, opportunities for talk are not, in themselves, a system for improving talk. Improvement comes from a clearly articulated body of knowledge that can be taught, practised and assessed. Tongue Fu Talking® provides this structure by defining what effective talk consists of and how it develops over time, enabling students to become more precise, reasoned and purposeful in how they speak and listen.
Oracy and Attention: Why They Belong Together
Oracy and Attention: Why They Belong Together
25th Sep 2025
This article explores how oracy transforms classroom attention from passive to purposeful. It shows how Tongue Fu Talking® resources help teachers cue, sustain, and make focus visible across The Stance, The Flow, The Mind, and The Bond, ensuring attention drives meaningful learning.
Tongue Fu Brand Mark