The GPP has been developed by Dr Dave Walters and is based on his internationally published work (see References section) which has the core values and moral purpose of organisations at the core of a self-improving system. Due to its vision of ‘all-through’ education and its backbone of a common conception of progress at all stages, the programme is of particular relevance to communities of schools. These schools may have formal partnerships such as Multi-Academy Trusts or more informal working partnerships like Local Learning Communities.

Using the 15 criteria for accreditation as a ‘Thinking School’, and the 5 criteria for further development as an ‘Advanced Thinking School’, as a blueprint for a self-improving system, the GPP provides a clear 3 year development structure that has been shown to deliver high impact learning gains for all children. Research relating to impact not only highlights growth in academic achievement, but also in wider personal attributes such as self-concept, character development and learning dispositions (see Evidence of Impact section).

The GPP takes as its starting point the robust and internationally acknowledged research of Professor John Hattie (Visible Learning) and Professor Steve Higgins (The Sutton Trust) and focuses on ‘high impact’, ‘low cost’, ‘based on extensive evidence’ factors that underpin the achievement of children in schools. Two factors specifically inform the GPP; Feedback and the use of Meta-cognitive Strategies. This forms the basis of the fusion of assessment and cognitive education on which the GPP is built. That said, the GPP does not make the assumption that if schools provide feedback and put cognitive tools into their practice, then children will learn more effectively. Rather, the GPP takes the stance that it is how feedback and cognitive education are applied by schools that matter.