Articles - Continuing Professional Development

What makes CPD sparkle?

Alison Halford  introduces her diary of a training manager with thoughts on twilight sessions

CPD: what's on offer for your TAs

Caroline Roberts reviews the current situation regarding promotion of support staff and looks at how schools and LAs are facing the cuts in training budgets

CPD for RE: what works best?

As RE teachers battle to make sure their subject is not marginalised, Elizabeth Holmes highlights a variety of events and resources to promote their professional development

The changing role of the deputy head

Neil Short considers the recent history of deputy headship as a prelude to discussing the present and future with contemporary deputies

Coaching the teachers

Taking a non-directive approach to professional development can help struggling teachers improve their practice, writes Carrie Saint Freedman

Starting points 2: How can I meet differing learning needs in the classroom?

The second in our series of CPD notes encourages teachers to reflect on how different teaching styles motivate G&T pupils and meet their learning needs

Making CPD count: a trainer and adviser's perspective

Advancing teaching and learning: capitalising on professional development

To be successful in advancing teaching and learning, staff development should follow a cycle, argues Sara Bubb as she looks at different levels of CPD activity and effective ways to develop these

How to deliver CPD on promoting e-safety for pupils

With the internet now a central part of most pupils’ lives – at school and at home, guarding against online dangers and those who seek to exploit young people’s vulnerability is a must. Paul Ainsworth gives a step-by step guide to training for e-safety

Professional development: creating a bespoke programme

In contrast with CPD that is imposed on teachers with little regard to their practical needs, Alison Barnes outlines a collaborative approach that enables G&T coordinators to formulate, implement and evaluate creative solutions to their colleagues’ training requirements

Developing outstanding leaders for challenging schools

The Future Leaders programme aims to address educational disadvantage by offering accelerated leadership training to teachers in urban schools, explains Sir Iain Hall

Finding the time: the challenge of CPD in SEAL

It is vital that staff receive the training they need to teach SEAL effectively. Julie Casey describes how she helped schools in one LA to develop a SEAL CPD programme

Delivering professional development on questioning techniques

Effective questioning helps secure pupil progress. Jo Smith outlines a session designed to develop teachers’ skill in this area

Developing partnerships with parents

Early Years Update looks at practical ways of developing strong relationships with parents and families

Last-minute Ofsted training

Ofsted has to give just two days’ notice before inspection, so it’s a good idea to have a training session in reserve for when your school gets the call. Paul Ainsworth outlines just such a session

Writing your own policies

Early Years Update provides a structure to help early years practitioners draw up their own policy documents to guide the organisation and management of their setting

How to deliver CPD on tackling off-task behaviour in lesson

Low-level disruption can greatly impede students’ progress. Josephine Smith outlines a CPD session to help teachers in your school improve their behaviour management

CPD trip: visiting NASA

Increase teacher motivation at your school by organising a CPD trip. Here, several participants recount one particularly worthwhile CPD visit, with one participant describing it as 'the most effective training I have had in over 20 years of teaching'

The future of CPD

What should the next step for your CPD policy be? Now that the central role of CPD is recognised in schools, Philippa Cordingley looks at how professional learning can progress even more in the future

How to make CPD integral to your whole school

Create a culture of CPD at your school using an approach based on CPD for all staff. Julia Upton gives advice on whole-school reviews, micro-skills — including tips on how to be an effective teacher — training for support staff and the development of networks

Collaborative professional enquiry in schools

How can participating in collaborative professional enquiry foster pupil learning and professional learning in teachers? Alison Fox from the University of Stirling and chartered teacher Jan Brophy describe how

Academy schools: the ultimate career move for school business managers?

The role of finance director at an academy school is potentially a very attractive career opportunity for ambitious school business managers and bursars. Ruth Bradbury explains why

Evaluating the impact of CPD

The evaluation of CPD and its impact is one of the most difficult tasks for CPD leaders. Sue Kelly demonstrates some far more interesting ways of evaluating CPD than simply handing out a questionnaire

Becoming an effective assistant headteacher

What does it take to become an effective assistant headteacher? Dr Ray Chatwin looks at how to manage the teacher transition from middle leader to assistant headteacher

Research into G&T has CPD benefits

Action research with G&T pupils didn't produce the results Peter Leyland expected, but he found it had great CPD benefits

CPD learning networks: Lambeth and Kosovo

School can greatly benefit in terms of CPD from links between a network of schools; in this case one in Lambeth and another in Kosovo, which have brought CPD benefits to teachers in both areas. Elizabeth Gowing explains

CPD training for G&T coordinators

The continuing professional development training implications of the gifted and talented (G&T) agenda are highlighted here by Sophie Craven and Brin Best, explaining all that CPD has to offer in the area of G&T

Workforce reform: giving support teams a voice

Development changes in your workforce which make flexible use of vital support staff teams will do much to encourage school improvement in general, believes Brian Rossiter, headteacher of Valley School in Worksop

The impact of partnership on CPD

A partnership between a school and a university can enhance teachers' professional development, by gaining them accreditation for work done in the classroom. Steve Merrill and Gill Yates explain the benefits

Reducing within-school variation

The difference between pupil outcomes in English schools is one of the highest in the industrial world, and reducing it is a persistent problem in education. But sharing good practice within schools can be a better solution than turning to outside experts, say Dr Peter Kent and Ray Tarleton

Checklist for NQT induction

The quality of an NQTs induction can shape their entire school career, in terms of their CPD. So how can schools ensure NQTs have the best possible introduction to their school? Elizabeth Holmes investigates

Establishing school staff support systems

How can strong teachers become even better? Headteacher Peter Kent and deputy head Annabel Kay describe the staff support triad system they put in place to help staff learn from and support each other

A new look for National Professional Qualification for Headship

The new National Professional Qualification for Headship pilot is underway. Crispin Andrews talks to one of the first participants

A career's worth of CPD

What CPD needs will a teacher have throughout the six distinct stages of their career? This article offers research summaries on the subject

CPD: a breakdown

What is the most effective form of CPD? What effect will workforce remodelling and the new Master's have? Nansi Ellis of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers gives her views

CPD best practice: innovative teaching

Does your school encourage innovation within teaching through its CPD? According to the GTCE, most teachers are displaying innovative practice, even though they don't realise it. This article showcases some best practice

A creative focus to CPD

Have you ever thought of approaching your school's CPD with an arts focus? Beverley Kirk describes the reflective and creative benefits of teachers coming at their continuing professional development from a different perspective

Investors in People Standard: is it worth aiming for?

The Investors in People Standard had a major impact on Alison Shakespeare's school's CPD, helping them to embed a culture of continuous improvement across the organisation. Read why she thinks it's such a good idea for school improvement

Improving school performance management can improve learning

Linking performance management to professional development (CPD) can immediately improve specific areas of learning across the school, Carol Taylor advises CPD leaders

How to be a 21st century CPD leader

A network of CPD leaders visited schools in the US to explore good practice in leadership of professional development. Barbara Dutton, coordinator of the network in Warrington, reports on what the group learned, and describes how they've been putting it into action

Your positive moments in CPD

We've been collecting your stories about the inspiring and encouraging experiences you’ve had at work during 2008. Here is a collection of the CPD themed responses you sent to the question, What has been your most positive experience at work this year?

Conference report: A culture change for professional development

We are in a season of culture change and transformation for CPD, according to speakers at the 4th annual CPD Update conference for professional development leaders

Staff training material for child protection issues

This resource offers a number of theoretical case studies where child protection could be a concern, intended for staff discussion. It then follows each scenario with suggested points for consideration

CPD through teacher enquiry and research

Graham Handscomb and John MacBeath put forward the case for teacher enquiry and benefits of research engagement for professional learning

CPD to combat cyberbullying

With pupils who are often more computer-literate than teachers, informed CPD coordinators can do a lot to combat cyberbullying says Dr Jo Bruce

Does CPD make any difference?

Does spending time and money on teacher training and professional development actually make a difference? Sara Bubb looks at the arguments for fresh and creative professional development for teachers, and getting value for money

Managing challenging behaviour with CPD

Pupils' challenging behaviour tops the list as the most stressful part of teaching; but can it be managed by teacher training? The effects of CPD on behaviour management are investigated by Elizabeth Holmes

The role of ICT in CPD

ICT can help teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) through the use of websites, CD-ROMS and DVDs, explains Cheryl Instan-Smith

CPD for SEN

This article discusses the GTC's Making SENse of CPD resource, which includes a summary of research findings about the effectiveness of CPD for SEN, as well as the emerging themes in CPD for SEN

The CPD aspects of a whole-school project

What happens when all the pupils and staff at a school read the same book at the same time, and what impact can this kind of whole-school project have on CPD? Lesley Hutchison explains