School-based teacher professional development

Centrality of CPD

CPD processes sit at the very heart of school improvement.

While over-arching processes and external pressures are developed and imposed within the organisational life of a school to bring about improvement, the only sustainable means by which this improvement can come about is by enhancing work of the people involved. Good CPD arrangements are fundamental to an improving school.

Questions to consider
1. What systems does your school need to ensure the involvement of all people in CPD?
2. What mechanisms do you have for hearing the ‘individual voice’ of all staff?
3. How does your school balance the ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ demands on CPD?
4. At what point should a school set up a CPD committee for staff and/or governors?

There is a common misunderstanding that CPD is just for teachers. If our schools are to be fully effective, then everybody who is involved with the school needs to be supported to do their job well. CPD leaders should therefore consider frameworks of provision for the continuing professional development of any or all of the people listed below who might work in a school.
Good CPD leadership will also develop ways in which these people can be part of the provision of support for
other colleagues as well.

• Newly Qualified Teachers
  
  • Experienced class teachers not seeking further promotion
  • Advanced Skills Teachers, fast track and lead teachers
  • Middle managers/subject leaders (emergent leaders)
  • Senior managers/members of leadership teams
  • Teachers preparing for headship, including deputies and assistant heads 

• Headteachers
• Governors
• Senior school support staff including bursars, business managers and premises managers
• Teachers on teaching practice
• Secretarial and administrative staff including librarians, catering staff
• Instructors, performers and technicians for science and ICT
• Parents
• Pupils
• School Community

Building capacity for CPD

CPD success, however, won’t come about just by adopting a few ideas from a guidebook; a school needs to build capacity for improvement by creating an ethos, culture and set
of expectations within which people can flourish. The 13 suggestions outlined can help build capacity.

1. Challenge low expectations as part of your learning vision
This learning vision must be focused on learning at all levels: students, adults who work in school and the school organisation. It needs to be made clear that everyone can and must learn.
2. Put people at the centre; don’t neglect emotions
Change is an intensely personal experience and leaders need to communicate to people they are aware of their abilities, worth and responsibilities. Leaders need to take these into account when managing change.
3. Establish a positive culture 

Develop trust and openness, celebrate successes and use humour positively.
4. Develop deep understanding of the change process
Build a sophisticated view of the change process and how it is likely to develop over time and the pressures it will create.
5. Cultivate development-friendly norms 

Change the culture of the school so that there is commitment to values such
as continuous improvement, life-long learning and risk taking.
6. Become learning experts: model, promote and support
professional learning Provide a range of opportunities for adults who work in school to become more expert in student learning and to share responsibility for organising learning experiences.
7. Work between and beyond schools 

This means not only working with other schools and the local community but
reaching out to other sources of support and resources such as businesses, higher education establishments and involvement in inter-agency work.
8. Change structures where necessary 

Adapt timetables, create new policies, amend roles and responsibilities to help
facilitate and co-ordinate the improvement process
9 .Broaden leadership
Co-ordinating and sustaining change requires a broad range of individuals to take on leadership roles. Others in school need to be empowered to lead.
10. Give enquiry and reflection pride of place It is vital that a school evaluates what they value and generate their own
knowledge of how to develop what is worthwhile.
11. Listen, especially to students
Students’ voices have an essential role to play within the process of improving a school because it is the improvement of their learning which is the ultimate
aim.
12. Seek connectedness
There is a need to develop a widespread understanding of the school as a dynamic whole in which no one action or intervention is discreet.

13. Promote collective responsibility: 

develop school-based professional community This means developing a sense of responsibility and accountability for change and improvement amongst
everyone in the school.

Inclusive CPD

There is a common misunderstanding that CPD is just for teachers. If our schools are to be fully effective, then everybody who is involved with the school needs to be supported to do their job well. CPD leaders should therefore consider frameworks of provision for the continuing professional development of any or all of the people listed below who might work in a school.
Good CPD leadership will also develop ways in which these people can be part of the provision of support for other colleagues as well.