Thorn Learning coordinates and supports two of the British Council’s largest global teacher communities, helping more than 180,000 English language teachers connect, collaborate and learn through structured professional development, peer support and community-led learning opportunities.
Project overview
TeachingEnglish communities provide teachers around the world with opportunities to share ideas, access professional development and learn from colleagues working in diverse educational contexts. Thorn Learning supports the coordination of the Courses for Teachers and Teacher Community Facebook groups, providing both day-to-day community management and longer-term community development.
The communities include more than 102,000 members in the Courses for Teachers group and 78,000 members in the Teacher Community. Together, they form part of the wider TeachingEnglish ecosystem supporting English language teachers in over 200 countries and territories.
The project combines community management, tutor support, content development, live-event production, moderation, reporting and strategic planning to create engaging online spaces where teachers can learn from both expert input and one another’s experiences.
How we worked with the client
Chris Thorn works closely with the TeachingEnglish Open Learning and Communities of Practice teams to coordinate content, manage moderation processes and support the development of both communities. Particular emphasis is placed on supporting tutors and moderators, maintaining high-quality learning interactions and ensuring communities align with wider TeachingEnglish objectives.
The project involves:
- Developing and managing community content plans.
- Supporting tutors in drafting and refining community posts.
- Producing image, video and promotional assets.
- Coordinating and mentoring moderation teams.
- Producing and moderating live online events.
- Managing Facebook Guides, tagging systems and community structures.
- Monitoring risks and safeguarding issues.
- Analysing community data and reporting insights.
- Advising on community strategy and future development.
Drawing on extensive experience in ELT, teacher education and community management, Thorn Learning helps ensure that community activity is focused on practical teacher development, peer support and reflective learning.
Services and standards
Community management, moderation, tutor support, content planning, asset creation, live-event production, reporting, data analysis and social media strategy.
Compliance to accessibility standards for digital resources under WCAG 2.2 Level AA, including accessible visual design, captions, transcripts and alternative text.
Maintaining the British Council approach to EDI through inclusive moderation practices, community guidelines, contributor support and representation across global teaching contexts.
Main outputs
- Coordination of the Courses for Teachers Facebook community (102,000+ members).
- Support for the Teacher Community Facebook group (78,000+ members).
- Content planning and scheduling across community channels.
- Tutor onboarding, mentoring and weekly support meetings.
- Community moderation systems, guidance and training resources.
- Community graphics, promotional assets and social media content.
- Production and moderation of Facebook Live and YouTube events.
- Facebook Guides, tagging systems and learner-support resources.
- Monthly and quarterly community insight reports and infographics.
Learn more
Join the TeachingEnglish Courses for Teachers community
Join the TeachingEnglish Teacher Community
Team and contributors
Community coordination, moderation, content development and live-event production: Chris Thorn
