Hachette Learning Academy's Competency Framework

Eight teaching competencies and how Hachette Learning Academy’s online courses map to them.

Hachette Learning Academy’s online courses support in-demand, contemporary themes for teachers such as oracy, digital literacy and wellbeing, and support for students with English as an Additional Language (EAL). Powered by adaptive learning technologies, these courses are designed to help teachers develop their expertise in line with their own pace of progress.

Our courses are commissioned with a teaching competency framework at the front and centre, to ensure the strongest outcomes in terms of upskilling and career progression.

What is the teaching competency framework?

The teaching competency framework encapsulates the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours expected of teachers. It brings clarity and direction to professional development by giving schools a structured way to understand and plan for staff growth.

It can align with national teaching standards, other recognised frameworks and your own school’s PD strategy, making it easier to design a plan for professional development that truly fits your context.

- Leaders can use it to select courses and plan PD that aligns with whole-school priorities. 
- Teachers can engage in practical and reflective tasks linked to their practice, track learners’ responses to their activities in their personal portfolio and track their progress towards their own professional goals through their learner dashboard. 
- PD leads and senior management teams can monitor competencies across individuals or groups, creating a coherent, joined-up approach to planning and evaluating CPD. 

Our online courses help to build these competencies through responsive technology and content from our expert, internationally-renowned authors.

If you would like to learn more about how this framework can align with your existing standards or strategy, a member of our sales team will be able to help you.

1. How pupils learn

The courses we first commissioned focus around the principle of metacognition. These first five courses help teachers develop learners’ memory and self-learning skills, encouraging them to think independently and manage cognitive load. These courses include:

- How learners learn: strategies for high-impact teaching

- The power of practice: strengthening learning in the classroom

- Presenting content for effective learning

- Thinking about thinking: Developing metacognition in the classroom

- Revolutionising Revision: empowering every learner to study effectively and achieve success

2. Empowering learners

At the heart of what we do is the idea of inclusive classrooms that build motivation, wellbeing, independence and ambition in every learner. Our courses that help with this competency currently include Supporting student wellbeing and Creating an inclusive classroom.

3. Subject and curriculum

We are building up our courses designed to support teachers with EAL student in mainstream classrooms, and moving from digital competency to digital agency, with courses such as:

- Oracy in action: Strategies to support EAL learners

- Building vocabulary: Strategies to support EL learners

- Teaching for digital fluency

4. Classroom practice

This competency includes delivering purposeful, inclusive lessons using effective pedagogy, modelling, and digital tools to support engagement and understanding. Courses that cover these themes include:

- Using questioning for impact

- Scaffolding for success: Strategies to support EAL learners

- Inquiry-based learning: Engaging students through exploration and critical thinking

- Instruction-based learning: Effective classroom delivery

5. Wider contribution

Our hope is that educators will engage in professional learning to improve practice, support school development and empower pupil voices. To support this goal, we have commissioned a course specifically aimed at supporting teachers: Wellbeing for educators.

6. Behaviour culture

It feels more important than ever that educators, where possible, can create a safe, inclusive environment by setting clear expectations, nurturing relationships, and promoting emotional and digital wellbeing. Our new course, Digital wellbeing: Practical strategies to support learners is full of actionable lessons that teachers can put into practice.

7. Assessment

As we all know, assessment is key for guiding teaching, monitoring progress, supporting reflection, and involving pupils in their learning journey. These goals are supported by our courses Making Learning Visible: Learning Intentions and success criteria, and next year's Feedback for Impact.

8. Adaptive teaching

Our courses are powered by educators who feel passionate about adaptive learning, and have thought long and hard about what it means and how it can be applied. Our courses Adaptive teaching: Challenge and progress and Social and academic proficiency: strategies to support EAL learners are designed to help teachers take their adaptive learning to the next level.

Want to learn more?

Our Sales Consultants will be able to outline for you how our online courses can be mapped to and interpreted in the context of recognised standards such as:

- Professional teaching standards from the Department of Education

- OECD high-quality teaching practices

- Cambridge International Teacher Standards

Find out more about our courses and order a 20-minute trial at hachettelearning.com/academy. You can also get in touch to discover how Hachette Learning Academy can take your professional development to new heights, by email to education@hachette.co.uk or by calling 01235 827 720.