Framing principle

This badge celebrates schools that make a deep and sustained investment in their teachers’ growth, wellbeing, and leadership. These schools understand that real education transformation depends on teachers who are continually strengthening their practice—supported by purposeful training, collaborative environments, and professional trust that result in measurable improvements in teaching quality and student outcomes.

Criteria For Earning This Badge

These criteria are informed by international research on teacher effectiveness, professional learning, and educator wellbeing. They draw on frameworks from the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) (2024), the Education International Teacher-led Learning Framework (2023), and insights from the UNESCO Teacher Task Force.

To earn this badge, schools must provide evidence that they have excelled in the following areas:

1.     Ongoing professional learning and growth

·      The school provides ongoing, high-quality training that supports teachers in developing their craft and staying responsive to educational change and staying responsive to demonstrably effective educational developments.

·      Teachers take part in a range of structured learning opportunities—such as accredited courses, workshops, coaching, or subject-specific training—that are relevant to their roles and challenges and have clear objectives linked to school improvement priorities.

·      There is a strong culture of reflection, where formal training is paired with peer learning and professional curiosity, with evidence that learning is applied in classroom practice and leads to measurable positive change. 

2.     Professional leadership and empowerment

·      Teachers are recognised as professionals with expertise to lead—within their classrooms and across the school.

·      They are trusted to shape school life through roles in mentoring, curriculum development, and decision-making with clear examples of how teacher-led initiatives have influenced policies, programmes, or outcomes.

·      The school intentionally supports teachers to grow into leadership, offering guidance, training, and space to lead with purpose, tracking the progression of teachers into leadership roles over time. 

3.     Equity in access to development opportunities

·      All teachers—regardless of their background or experience—have fair access to professional development and training with transparent selection processes and equitable allocation of resources.

·      The school takes active steps to support early-career educators, those in under-resourced contexts, and staff from underrepresented groups and measures participation rates to ensure inclusion goals are met.

·      Training is responsive, not one-size-fits-all: it meets the specific needs of staff and the context in which they work, with feedback mechanisms to adapt programmes based on teacher input. 

4.     Staff wellbeing and work environment

·      The school actively supports teacher wellbeing, knowing that healthy, motivated teachers create thriving learning environments and that retention rates are improved by supportive practices.

·      Teachers have access to support systems—such as mental health resources, peer networks, flexible working options, and recognition initiatives that are actively used and valued by staff.

·    A strong professional culture marked by mutual respect is evident, collaboration, and shared purpose is demonstrated through staff surveys, low turnover, or peer-led initiatives.