School-based teacher professional development

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Vincent Kizza

This Unit covers some initial reflections in CPD planning and how to do CPD need identification

Key CPD Planning questions

1. Is there a CPD policy for the school?
2. What methods exist to ensure a full needs audit of all those connected with the school community?
3. Is there any kind of entitlement/guarantee for staff to receive CPD provision?
4. How far is there a culture of CPD in the school, ie a “learning culture permeating all pupils and staff”?
5. What are the awareness and involvement levels of whole leadership teams and governors in CPD?
6. Is there a clear job description/role delineation for the CPD co-ordinator?
7. How are needs identified? Are there mechanisms in place to support the effective identification of needs of individuals so that logical criteria are identified? What use is made of:
a. school self-evaluation evidence;
b. Performance Management Information;
c. last year’s CPD evidence;
d. school performance and other data;
e. feedback from staff and others incl. line managers, section leaders;
f. feedback from governors, parents, pupils;
g. benchmarking information;
h. national and local priorities;
i. subjective measures such as morale, confidence, satisfaction surveys?
8. Does this balance school needs/national priorities and personal need?
Is there a system for identifying national priorities, school/local priorities, individual needs and
the needs within areas of the school?
9. What procedures exist to match need and effective provision? To what extent is there an
attempt to balance gaps/deficiencies and interests? Should there be?
10. How are budget allocations determined? From the evidence, what are the main criteria used to
allocate funding and support?
11. Are the aims for CPD provision clear to the participant and school?
12. Are there accreditation opportunities for staff?
13. How is impact monitored? To what extent are the “value for money” principles of economy,
efficiency, effectiveness and equity considered? Is any account taken of Best Value principles
– challenge, compare, consult and compete in identifying needs and actions?
14. Is there a clear cycle where evaluation/impact is fed into the next year’s planning?
15. Overall is CPD given enough prominence in the school?

Needs identification

There is  need to balance the identified, expressed needs of individuals with the over-arching organisational influences upon a school. This section promotes a model for this kind of integration right at the point of personal needs identification.

Below are seven Needs Identification Exercises

1. Competency self-assessment against Standards Frameworks

  • The individual selects an appropriate framework for their career stage e.g....
  • The individual completes a self-assessment on a 1-5 ‘best-fit’ grading for their own performance against each of the competencies described within each aspect. 
  • Having completed this competency self-assessment the individual expresses a chosen learning intention to become a priority for their professional development in the forthcoming period.

2. Observations of work with pupils

  • The individual reflects on the range of comments on feedback forms from recent observations by colleagues of their work.
  • This feedback of strength and areas for development provides the individual with a summary of colleague’s perceptions from which they can select priorities.
  • From recent observations of your work with pupils, the individual expresses a chosen learning intention to become a priority for their professional development in the forthcoming period.

3. School Improvement Plan links

  • The individual selects an objective(s) within the school improvement plan for which they have responsibility or can make a significant contribution.
  • The individual describes actions that will contribute towards the achievement of this s.i.p objective that will also further their own development.
  • Having considered the contribution they hope to make to the school improvement process, the individual expresses a chosen learning intention to become a priority for their professional development in the forthcoming period.

4. Peer Review exercise

  • A questionnaire containing pertinent questions is distributed to chosen colleagues It is completed and returned either anonymously or named.
  • Useful questions might include:
    What do you value in X’s work? Provide positive examples.
    What would you like to change in X’s working practices?
    Highlight significant features of X’s work
    Provide comments that might help X’s professional development
  • Based upon a review of evaluative comments from peers, the individual expresses a chosen learning intention to  become a priority for their professional development in the forthcoming period.

5. Learner attainment challenge

  • From the pupil attainment data analysis, the individual selects a statistical target for a class or group for progress for which they can make a direct impact.
  • This target should be specific and measurable, eg “average points score for my English group increase from 29.7 to 32.0 in writing by end of the year”
  • The individual records a methodology to reach this target, noting changes to customary practice or the development of new skills and ideas.
  • As part of their methodology for this targeted work, the individual expresses a chosen learning intention to become a priority for their professional development in the forthcoming period.

6. Learner/Family Feedback Questionnaire

  • The individual distributes a questionnaire/survey to pupils and/or their families to obtain frank (anonymous) views about their work.
  • From the analysis of questionnaire returns, the individual expresses a chosen learning intention to become a priority for their professional development in the forthcoming period.

7. Significant event analysis

  • The individual follows a sequence of questions that probe significant events - the kind that create that extra buzz or anxiety and often lead to incidental learning .
  • Qs: Describe the situation, did something go wrong/well?
    How did it affect pupils? Classroom relationships?
    How did it affect you? Confidence? Anxiety? Concern?
    How did it affect others? Any problems?
    Would you want it to happen again? How to avoid/create?
    With hindsight, anything different next time?
  • As a result of working through this significant event, the individual expresses a chosen learning intention to become a priority for their professional development in the forthcoming period.

Up to seven needs identification exercises produce planned learning intentions. These intentions become the basis of a personal development plan. Having identified personal needs from seven perspectives, a balanced, coherent plan should be developed


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