Steplab evaluation links coaching-led teacher development to GCSE uplift

ImpactEd analysis of more than 2,300 English schools found higher Steplab engagement was associated with stronger Attainment 8 scores and additional primary reading progress.

ImpactEd’s evaluation linked sustained coaching-led professional development through Steplab with stronger teaching practice and higher student outcomes.

Schools using Steplab for sustained, coaching-led teacher professional development have recorded stronger teaching practice, improved classroom climate, and higher student outcomes, according to an independent evaluation by ImpactEd.

The Steplab Evaluation Report 2026 draws on platform data from 2,339 English schools, a customer survey of 206 respondents, an independent ImpactEd staff survey of 56 respondents, nine qualitative focus groups with senior and middle leaders, and published Department for Education outcomes data.

ImpactEd analyzed Department for Education data from 333 secondary schools using Steplab and found that schools with deeper engagement in coaching-led professional development saw Attainment 8 scores move upward relative to national trends.

The gap between the most and least engaged secondary school groups was just over one Attainment 8 point. The evaluation describes this as broadly equivalent to a grade improvement in one subject, with the relationship holding after accounting for levels of disadvantage.

In primary schools, ImpactEd found that schools embedding high-quality professional development saw students make the equivalent of two to three additional months of reading progress compared with matched comparator schools.

Steplab is a professional development platform focused on coaching, feedback, and small, manageable steps for teacher practice. The evaluation examined whether sustained use of the platform was associated with changes in staff development, consistency across classrooms, school culture, and student outcomes.

Coaching and feedback linked to changes in practice

The ImpactEd evaluation found that 82 percent of staff respondents said the quality of professional development in their school had improved since using Steplab. The same proportion said staff now feel safe receiving feedback on their teaching.

The findings are notable because the schools in the evaluation were working with higher levels of disadvantage than the national average. Steplab secondary schools had 29 percent of students eligible for free school meals, compared with 24 percent nationally. In primary schools, the figure was 28 percent, compared with 23 percent nationally.

Danielle Jones, Manager at ImpactEd, who conducted the evaluation, says: "These findings are especially notable given that Steplab partner schools serve, on average, significantly more disadvantaged communities than the national average, suggesting that structured, coaching-led professional development has an important role to play in supporting the schools that need it most."

The evaluation also reported changes in teacher motivation and engagement. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they felt more motivated about their professional development, while 74 percent said they felt more engaged.

For classroom practice, 85 percent of respondents reported improvements in consistency across classrooms. Eighty-eight percent said the focus on small, manageable steps had improved how they develop their practice.

Claire Hill, Managing Director of Steplab, says: "Teachers are at the heart of any school, yet so often professional development has been something that happens to them rather than something built for them. The research is clear: when you invest in giving teachers the right kind of development — specific, coaching-led, sustained — it changes everything. Not just results, but how teachers feel about their work. That is what great professional development should look like, and it’s what teachers have always deserved."

GCSE and reading outcomes

The headline outcome from the secondary analysis was the link between higher Steplab engagement and stronger GCSE Attainment 8 scores.

ImpactEd compared Steplab schools with matched comparison schools with similar levels of disadvantage. The evaluation found that schools with the highest levels of engagement showed Attainment 8 scores equivalent to a grade improvement in one subject compared with lower-engagement groups.

The primary school findings focused on reading. ImpactEd reported that schools embedding high-quality professional development saw the equivalent of two to three additional months of reading progress compared with matched comparator schools.

The evaluation also found that classroom climate improved. Eighty-one percent of staff survey respondents reported improvements in overall classroom climate.

One senior leader quoted in the evaluation says: "There's been real, improved pupil focus and on-task behaviour through the clearer routines. And if we've got all children engaged, that has an impact on calmer and more purposeful classrooms."

Longer use associated with stronger results

ImpactEd’s evaluation found that schools using Steplab for longer reported stronger changes in how teachers develop their practice.

Among schools using Steplab for three or more years, 93 percent agreed that the approach had improved how they develop teaching practice, with 73 percent strongly agreeing. In schools in their first year, 41 percent strongly agreed.

The customer survey also recorded a Net Promoter Score of +66 overall, rising to +78 among headteachers.

The evaluation does not present Steplab as a one-off training intervention. Its findings are tied to sustained use, coaching, feedback routines, and small changes to classroom practice over time.

The full Steplab Evaluation Report 2026 is available on request. The evaluation was conducted by ImpactEd Evaluation using Steplab platform data, survey responses, focus groups, and published Department for Education outcomes data.