There is no single formula for a “perfect” lesson.

A great lesson with one learner might look completely different from a great lesson with thirty. A lesson supporting a learner with SEND may need to look very different from a lesson with a high-attaining GCSE class.

And that is exactly why I think teaching quality is about more than ticking off a list of things a teacher or tutor has done.

For me, the real question is: Is the teaching helping this particular learner to learn?

When I am thinking about the quality of a lesson, these are some of the things I look for.

1. Is there a clear purpose?

A lesson doesn't need a complicated learning objective written on the board to be purposeful. The learner should simply have some sense of what they are learning and why.

This might be understanding how to use commas, exploring a character in a novel, solving simultaneous equations or preparing for a GCSE exam question. The activity should have a reason behind it.

If a learner finishes a worksheet but isn't really sure what they were supposed to learn from it, something has been missed.

Good teaching makes the learning feel purposeful rather than like a collection of activities.

2. Is the explanation clear?

Subject knowledge matters. But knowing a subject well and explaining it well are not quite the same thing.

A teacher might have an excellent understanding of a topic but still need to think carefully about how to break that knowledge down for their learner.

• Are unfamiliar words explained?
• Are ideas introduced in manageable steps?
• Does the teacher give examples?
• Do they model what they want the learner to do?

And importantly, do they avoid assuming that something is “obvious” simply because it is obvious to them?

This becomes particularly important when working with learners who have gaps in prior knowledge or who need information presented in a different way.

3. Are they actually checking understanding?

One of the simplest questions a teacher can ask is: “How do I know they understand?” And “Do you understand?” isn't always enough.

A learner might say yes because they don't want to admit they are confused. They might genuinely think they understand until they are asked to apply the idea independently. Good teaching creates opportunities to find out.

This could be through questioning, retrieval, asking the learner to explain something in their own words, working through an example together or asking them to apply a skill independently.

And if the learner gets something wrong, that isn't necessarily a sign that the lesson has gone badly. Actually, it can be incredibly useful. A misconception that is spotted is a misconception that can be addressed.

4. Does the teaching respond to the learner?

This is one of the things I value most in teaching. A lesson shouldn't simply follow a script regardless of what happens.

• If a learner is struggling, the teacher needs to notice.
• If they have understood something quickly, they may need greater challenge.
• If they are becoming overwhelmed, the approach may need to change.
• If a particular explanation hasn't worked, try another one.

This is particularly important when teaching learners with SEND. Adaptation isn't simply about producing a different worksheet or making the work easier. It might mean changing the way instructions are given, allowing additional processing time, reducing unnecessary cognitive load, using a visual model, breaking a task into smaller steps or providing a scaffold before gradually removing it.

The important question isn't: “Did I differentiate?”

It is: “Did what I changed actually help this learner access the learning?”

5. Is the learner doing some of the thinking?

A lesson can look incredibly busy and still involve very little learning.

The teacher talks.

The learner listens.

The teacher demonstrates.

The learner watches.

The teacher asks a question.

The teacher answers it.

Everyone has been busy, but who has actually been doing the thinking?

Good teaching gives learners opportunities to explain, question, practise, make mistakes, try again and apply what they have learned.

This doesn't mean the teacher should disappear and leave the learner to figure everything out alone. Quite the opposite.

Strong modelling and explanation are incredibly valuable. But there should also be opportunities for the learner to take increasing ownership of the thinking.

6. Is the level of challenge right?

Too much challenge can leave a learner feeling defeated. Too little challenge can leave them disengaged.

Finding that middle ground isn't always easy.

Sometimes the right support allows a learner to access something that initially seemed too difficult. That might be a worked example, a sentence starter, a visual prompt, a key word bank or simply breaking a complex task into smaller stages.

And scaffolding doesn't have to stay there forever.

One of the most satisfying parts of teaching is watching a learner gradually need less support because they have developed the confidence and understanding to do something independently.

The aim isn't to make learning permanently easy. It's to help learners become increasingly capable.

7. Does assessment actually influence the lesson?

Assessment shouldn't just happen at the end. It should be happening throughout the learning process.

A teacher might discover that a learner has misunderstood a key concept. That should influence what happens next.

• Perhaps they need another explanation.
• Perhaps they need to see a different example.
• Perhaps they need more practice.
• Perhaps the teacher realises that the learner is ready to move on.

This is why I think assessment and teaching are so closely connected.

Assessment tells us where the learner is. Good teaching uses that information to decide where to go next.

It doesn't have to mean lots of tests, marking or paperwork. Sometimes a well-timed question can tell you more than a whole page of written work.

8. Is there evidence that learning has happened?

Finally, I would always come back to the learner. What can they do now that they couldn't do confidently before?

• Perhaps they can explain a concept that was previously confusing.
• Perhaps they have independently completed a type of question.
• Perhaps they have used a new skill without prompting.
• Perhaps they have corrected a misconception.

Progress doesn't always mean completing a certain number of pages or moving onto the next worksheet.

Sometimes it is a small moment of independence.

Sometimes it is confidence.

Sometimes it is finally understanding something that has been a barrier for a long time.

Those moments matter.

There isn't one way to teach well

I think this is probably the most important point. A high-quality lesson doesn't have to look a certain way. It doesn't have to be perfectly quiet. It doesn't have to involve a particular number of activities. It doesn't have to follow a rigid lesson structure. And it certainly doesn't have to look impressive from the outside.

A fantastic lesson might involve lots of discussion.

Another might involve ten minutes of carefully modelled practice.

One learner might need movement, conversation and frequent changes of activity.

Another might need calm, predictability and plenty of processing time.

Good teaching responds to the learner in front of you.

For me, high-quality teaching is purposeful, clear, responsive and inclusive. It challenges learners appropriately, checks understanding and gives them opportunities to become increasingly independent.

Most importantly, it keeps coming back to one question: Is this helping this learner learn?

If the answer is yes, you are on the right track!

*** Looking for more structured, inclusive curriculum support? Take a look at the planning guides from The Inclusive Curriculum Studio ***