CPD in schools – The great untapped Gifted and Talented

CPD is often a word that we hear in schools, but for many schools and the staff that work in these schools the true meaning of this is unknown.  Research has shown that there is always one key response that reverberates around the staffroom.  CPD, ‘Oh yes, that’s going on a course’ with little other suggestions offered in response.

Does this response surprise me, in essence probably not, it has became the norm in many institutions.  What you might find more surprising is that in a recent survey of 100 schools the majority of teachers who said they had been pro-active in their own CPD was 23%.  For a community of professionals this is shocking but hardly surprising given that people just do not have the time to develop this perceived ‘luxury’, even though that in the short and long term it will no doubt benefit them and their institution.

Of course the other issue is that schools are placing even more pressure on teachers in the move to be raise achievement and attainment.  Internal INSET may occur but often this is squeezed into a day at the end or start of term, with little or no time for reflection.   Research shows that best practice is in regular 2-3 hour slots timetabled throughout the year. How many schools follow this model?

 In lessons teachers differentiate for all, or at least they should do! They plan lessons to be inclusive and provide guidance on how to improve/develop…….so why does this not happen for teachers?  Some head teachers have taken their eye off their most valuable resource, their staff.  A culture of ‘for the school’ has developed because of external pressures, but what about ‘for the professional’?  In recent years the shift has moved to what you need to do for the school, not what the school needs to do for you.

Outstanding schools or those on the journey to outstanding are those which have a truly embedded and effective CPD programme where all members of the community are valued and developed.  If a school wants to be ‘Outstanding’ this needs to happen and will be judged on in the new Ofsted framework.

What makes good professional development?

Rajan and Eupen found the following in order of importance:

1. Coaching and mentoring
2. Sideways moves (often into unfamiliar settings either inside or outside their current organisation)
3. Challenging assignments, that stretch existing capability
4. Networking with peers
5. Formal training

It is interesting from the study that formal training, while important, was in fifth place while coaching and mentoring was in first. However the learning for school leaders from studies like this is not that one form of development is necessarily more effective than another. Rather it is that the most effective forms of professional learning are supported not by a reliance on one approach over another, but in a combination of approaches that respond to individual needs. One colleague’s professional learning might be best served by an external course with networking opportunities while another needs a combination of coaching with involvement in an action learning set.

The following highlight some examples of how school leaders can encourage and support their colleagues in their professional learning taken from NCSL - Formal And Informal Opportunities For Professional Learning

Leaders need to take advantage of the rich range of formal and informal professional learning opportunities for colleagues both within and beyond the school. These include:

• involvement in an action research project
• attending external seminars, conferences and training programmes
• studying on an in-depth programme such as those run by universities
• joint planning of lessons and programmes of work
• reading literature and/or involvement in a reading group critically reviewing research
• applying research and ideas from reading to classroom practice and reviewing results
• coaching and being coached
• taking a mentoring role within the school or being mentored by a colleague [internal or external]
• regular involvement in formal and informal learning discussions around learning and teaching
• involvement in learning communities
• producing poster displays or articles exemplifying an enquiry or an aspect of work
• observing classroom practice, as individuals or in groups
• being observed whether teaching or in a leadership role and receiving formative feedback
• using evaluation data to reflect on professional performance
• shadowing a pupil/s around classes for a day
• networking within and beyond the school
• participation or a leadership role in a working party, committee, group enquiry or project.
• visiting colleagues in other schools to observe/explore professional practice

CPD can takes many forms but the key message is that it must be planned and staff and school leaders must take ownership.

Sources – NCSL Formal And Informal Opportunities For Professional Learning