Claire Hill is the director of StepLab, a professional development platform helping schools improve teaching quality through structured coaching, practical training and evidence-based feedback. Having worked as a teacher and school leader, Claire brings first-hand experience of the challenges educators face in developing their classroom practice and supporting student achievement. Since joining StepLab four years ago, she has helped lead its growth from a small organisation working with a few thousand teachers to a platform now used by more than 200,000 teachers across the UK, Australia and other international markets. In this episode, Claire explains why traditional one-off training sessions often fail to change teaching habits, how deliberate practice, classroom modelling and precise feedback can help teachers continually improve, and how StepLab uses research to make effective professional development accessible at scale. She also discusses the role of technology and AI in expanding the platform internationally, the importance of government investment in teacher training, and why giving teachers more time to develop their skills is essential to improving educational outcomes and strengthening the teaching profession.
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