CPD policy

How to deliver CPD on promoting e-safety for pupils

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:54:13 +0000

Every school feels a responsibility to its pupils and their parents regarding e-safety. This training session offers practical tips and advice on helping pupils keep themselves safe online and gives suggestions on how staff and parents can promote good practice

Rationale

Experience suggests that:

Professional development: creating a bespoke programme

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:14:40 +0000

The role of gifted and talented coordinator in English primary schools is complex; it involves the development of the school's G&T policy and the responsibility for managing the school's register of G&T children. Importantly, however, it is a leadership position in which the G&T coordinator plays a central role in developing colleagues' practice (Campbell et al 2004; Clark and Callow 1998).

The government’s plans for future developments in CPD

scameron — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:28:08 +0100

‘Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.’
Aristotle

Is your school’s CPD in tune with new policy?

scameron — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:54:35 +0100

‘People are easily led. The more you feed them baby food, the more they want it. I’m trying to encourage people to start growing up, walking on two feet – thinking for themselves… I don’t have answers, I have questions.’
Terry Gilliam

How creative is your school’s professional learning?

scameron — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:48:16 +0100

‘Creativeness is the ability to see relationships where none exist.’
Thomas Disch

How many times do you hear people saying ‘I’m not creative’? Where does such a thought come from? While it’s shocking to hear a child say something like that, hearing adults express that view is bordering on the tragic!

The future for professional learning

scameron — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:22:20 +0100

‘We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.’
George Bernard Shaw

Good CPD according to Ofsted

scameron — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:51:50 +0100

Accountability breeds response-ability.
Stephen R Covey

In this CPD Update we dissect the report to get to the heart of what we need to know about CPD in schools.

Personalised learning for all staff in schools

scameron — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:24:38 +0000

Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.
Confucius

Does your school’s professional learning help to enhance its SEN provision?

scameron — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:27:32 +0000

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert Collier

With Happy Days’ Henry Winkler fronting a new DCSF campaign focused on improving attitudes towards children with SEN, now is a great time to explore the ways in which all professional learning in your school feeds into enhanced SEN provision. This week’s CPD Update helps you to do just that…

National training for new SENCOs: what will it cover?

scameron — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:13:06 +0000

Happy New Year to you!

Any New Year resolutions? Apart from the less eating/drinking-and-more-exercise type of intentions, you may be thinking of some professional goals this term. The roll-out of national training for new SENCOs began last September, with some providers just getting going this month, so we thought it might be timely to put you in the picture about what the training will cover. Over the coming term, we will help you to audit and update your own professional standards, whether you’ve been a SENCO for two years or 22 years.

Reviewing what professional skills have been learned this term

scameron — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:39:26 +0000

Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life.
Henry L Doherty

Time to pause and reflect is essential for our effectiveness, and the end of the Autumn term is a great time to take that all-important step back. This week, we explore how to make the most of this exercise in looking for learning so that the new term kicks off with purpose.

Sustainable CPD: 5th Annual CPD Update Conference

scameron — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:06:06 +0000

The aim of life is self-development. To realise one’s nature perfectly – that is what each of us is here for.
Oscar Wilde

Hot ideas for sustainable CPD
The conference heard from a wide range of speakers on all the top issues of the moment in the world of professional learning in schools today. Here is a selection of wisdom which was shared on the day to inspire you over the months to come…

Putting community cohesion at the heart of CPD

scameron — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:26:35 +0000

The first duty of a human being is to assume the right functional relationship to society – more briefly, to find your real job, and to do it.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Community cohesion is big news. It’s talked about endlessly in corridors of power, actively pursued in local authorities and actually happening in schools across the country. Ofsted is particularly interested in the ways in which we interpret and promote it, too. Such is its importance that it really has to have a high priority in our plans for professional learning.

What will the National College's remit changes mean for CPD in schools?

scameron — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:53:46 +0100

Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capacities simply by being given the opportunity to do so.
Doris Lessing

The National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services has a new remit, not to mention a new name. Formerly called the National College for School Leadership, the institution’s name has been changed to reflect an extension of its work to include directors of children’s services (although it will still be known as the ‘National College’).

Spotlight on the CPD coordinator’s role

scameron — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:57:08 +0100

Between stimulus and response is the freedom to choose.
Viktor Frankl

Whether you have taken on the role of CPD coordinator for the first time this term or are an old hand at the job, it’s well worth taking a moment to reflect on what you are hoping to achieve, what you consider to be the key focus of the role and how you can be the kind of facilitator who will lead learning in all the right directions. This issue helps you through those reflections and offers ideas for enriching your role and improving outcomes.

Introducing the new teachers' code of conduct and practice

scameron — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:45:23 +0100

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.
Leonard Cohen, Anthem

CPD support for teacher's wellbeing and self-worth

scameron — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:52:02 +0100

Self-worth comes from one thing – thinking that you are worthy.
Wayne Dyer

Is it possible to nurture the wellbeing of others if we don’t nurture it in ourselves? Is it possible to separate the professional and the personal when it comes to learning on the job? To what extent does the development of self-worth feature in the professional learning plans of your school? These questions all provide food for thought in this edition of CPD Week.

The future of CPD

scameron — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:28:03 +0100

At long last the central role of CPD is widely recognised. It is the key driver for change and is at the core of pupil learning and school development at every level across the system. It features prominently in the Children’s Plan and schools and local authorities across the system are getting to grips with the latest evidence, ideas, sources of funding and initiatives.

How to make CPD integral to your whole school

scameron — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:48:30 +0100

Is it just rhetoric to say that we create a culture of CPD for our workforce at King Edward VI School? And if it isn’t, just what does it mean? So often we hear people talk about the ethos of a school but it can seem so intangible, so impossible to distil into real examples of practice that can be adapted for use elsewhere.

The new GTCE code of conduct and practice

scameron — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:43:58 +0100

The General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) has announced that it intends to implement a new code of conduct and practice for teachers in December 2009. This has been met with criticism from unions who see it as an infringement of the private lives of teachers. In this article Mark Blois looks at whether the new code will lead to the ‘Big Brother’ scenario feared by some teachers.

What is the GTCE?

Evaluating the impact of CPD

scameron — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:08:44 +0000

Evaluating the impact of CPD has to be the one task that gives CPD leaders most anxiety. We know it is important to recognise the complex nature of impact evaluation and we also appreciate few have really cracked it. Most of us are still struggling to measure impact effectively, let alone work out how to use this information once we’ve got it, to feed back into the process of whole-school and individual planning for CPD.

Research into G&T has CPD benefits

scameron — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:36:46 +0000

Two years ago, together with 19 other teachers from schools across the country, I was awarded a research grant by the now defunct National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY). My research was to consider whether mixed-ability teaching challenges the most able in a primary classroom. It was a subject that had intrigued me for many years, not only at primary but also at secondary level. As most of my experience is in 9-13 middle schools I neatly cross the divide.

CPD learning networks: Lambeth and Kosovo

scameron — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:38:44 +0000

Networks are a formidable way to develop professionally, but when one network connects with another then really powerful professional learning can occur. This is what happened when our Lambeth-based network linked up with Kosovo.

CPD training for G&T coordinators

scameron — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:42:07 +0000

The education of highly able or ‘gifted and talented’ (G&T) children has received much government attention in recent years. Major policy changes and significant financial developments in the area of gifted and talented education, in particular through the introduction of the ‘Young Gifted and Talented’ programme and the creation of the role of leading teacher for G&T, has in turn given renewed impetus to CPD in this area.

Professional support for staff who move schools

scameron — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:57:43 +0000

Being ready isn’t enough; you have to be prepared for a promotion or any other significant change.
Pat Riley

Applying yourself

While it could be good, in a way, for schools to grow their own talent and nurture it through the years, with little wastage along the way, the fact is that movement of staff between schools is very positive for the profession as a whole. It is a way to kick-start progress across the profession, push fresh boundaries and re-invigorate staff.

Examining the links between professional development and behaviour: part 2

scameron — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:58:58 +0000

If people are only good because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.
Albert Einstein

Leadership themes to support the professional development offer

jlee — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:43:01 +0000

In issue 5, I wrote ‘we need to have the right people in the school to do the job’. In that issue I focused on three essential ingredients for ensuring that the ‘right’ people are recruited and, when in post, supported to do their job well. This week I want to focus on a further essential ingredient –continuing professional development (CPD). No-one would question the importance of ensuring that the workforce is knowledgeable and in possession of the necessary skills to do their job well.

Examining the links between professional development and behaviour: part 1

jlee — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:21:31 +0000

Children are more influenced by the sermons you act than by the sermons you preach.
David McKay

With Sir Alan Steer’s interim review on pupil behaviour fresh on our desks, there’s much for schools to digest – particularly with regard to professional learning and behaviour. With this in mind, the next few issues of CPD Week will explore ways in which schools might build on the points raised in the review when designing development for school staff.

Professional learning for behaviour

Reducing within-school variation

scameron — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:56:35 +0000

Within-school variation (WSV) – the difference in outcomes between subjects within the same school at secondary level and teachers within the same primary school – is four times greater than the differences between schools. This startling statistic puts the UK near the top of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s WSV table .

The role of school business manager in support staff CPD

scameron — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:29:14 +0000

Effective CPD is a fundamental part of a successful school. All too often, it can be approached in an inconsistent and ad hoc manner, which is why a good CPD framework is crucial. And with the increasing professionalisation of support staff, such a framework must take note of their needs as well as those of teachers. In this article I describe my contribution as SBM in the reframing of our school’s policy and how I have been able to advance the position of support staff in relation to training.

Establishing school staff support systems

scameron — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:33:34 +0000

Our meeting with the triads came nearly three years ago, after our school – Lawrence Sheriff School, in Rugby – had completed one of the last inspections under the ‘old’ framework. Following a report that said the school was mainly ‘very good’, we faced a problem that will be familiar to many a headteacher: ‘where do we go from here?’

A career's worth of CPD

scameron — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:20:42 +0000

The quality of teaching is determined not just by the ‘quality’ of the teachers – although that is clearly critical – but also by the environment in which they work. Able teachers are not necessarily going to reach their potential in settings that do not provide appropriate support or sufficient challenge and reward.

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CPD: a breakdown

scameron — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:35:44 +0000

The Children’s Plan, which details the government’s ambition to make this the best place in the world for our children and young people to grow up, offers a vision of a learning workforce: ‘The best teachers constantly seek to improve and develop their skills and subject knowledge.’ The aim is to make teaching a Master’s-level profession, offering a contractual entitlement to CPD and opportunities to engage in collaborative CPD that focuses on classroom practice.
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CPD best practice: innovative teaching

scameron — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:47:29 +0000

Innovation is a good thing. It contributes to improved results, helps open up pupils’ minds and increases their self-belief, and allows schools to respond to world changes and to keep pace with the changing needs of their pupils. But if innovation is so good, why aren’t more schools doing it? And why do so many teachers who innovate feel they are unable to share it with their colleagues?
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A creative focus to CPD

scameron — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:35:09 +0000

Following a school amalgamation, I became a senior manager with the interesting title of creative arts manager. The post, in a primary school in Bury, was fairly open to interpretation but one crucial aim was to win the Artsmark, which had been a feature of the old infant school prior to the merger. So I used the framework of Artsmark to structure my role and to begin to design development opportunities for staff. Initially, I took responsibility for collecting information and it was exciting to run a staff questionnaire on the provisions in art, music, dance and drama.
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CPD: Functional Skills in action

scameron — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:53:57 +0000

All of the top achievers I know are life-long learners... looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they're not learning, they're not growing... not moving toward excellence.
Denis Waitley
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Your CPD aims for 2009

scameron — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:29:54 +0000

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
Carl Bard
What will 2009 bring for CPD in our schools? It’s over to you…
We spoke to Dr Sean Thornton, Headteacher of Wadebridge School in Cornwall; Glynis Evans, Deputy Assistant Principal of All Saints College, Newcastle upon Tyne; and Elizabeth Wood, Headteacher of Oliver Tomkins Cof E Junior School, Wiltshire to find out what their main targets are for CPD in the year ahead. This is what they had to say.
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International School Award

scameron — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:00:40 +0000

The government is expecting all schools to begin work on an international dimension. By 2012 (the deadline has been moved from 2010) all schools should be working with an international partner and working towards the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) International School Award.
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Investors in People Standard: is it worth aiming for?

scameron — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:43:08 +0000

When our Investors in People assessor confirmed in July 2007 that we had met the standard for the second time, she reported that the school ‘is using the Investors framework to develop continually and improve the school’. There is no doubt that Investors has had a major impact on our development and ethos and helped us to embed a culture of continuous improvement across the organisation.
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Motivating individuals to share CPD practice

scameron — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:57:40 +0000

People say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
Zig Ziglar
Motivating yourself and others
As levels of expectation and responsibility continue to rise in the world of teaching, it is essential for staff to feel that they have the opportunity to develop, at the very least, to meet the new demands being made of them. If they don’t sense that level of support, the only outcome is de-motivation.
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Improving school performance management can improve learning

scameron — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:36:43 +0000

Some schools are well on their way to embedding performance management and professional development of all staff within their systems, but there are others that have simply tweaked what they already had in place to ensure compliance with the statutory performance management regulations. But they are missing an excellent opportunity to draw together two key elements of school improvement.
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How to be a 21st century CPD leader

scameron — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:33:34 +0000

The synergy between performance management, the revised professional standards for teachers, school improvement planning, professional development and school self-evaluation prompted Warrington local authority to consider how to build the capacity of CPD leaders and ensure that their leadership role had a higher profile in school staffing structures.
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Motivation: the key to staff excellence

scameron — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:39:21 +0000

Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation and a pinch of creativity.
Bo Bennett
Becoming a motivated school
Many motivational theories have been developed over time, a large proportion of which are generic. There has also been a huge amount of writing and discussion about the motivation of pupils, and how we can best raise achievement and attainment. But how might schools motivate staff to engage fully in personal and professional development?
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Teaching teachers: facilitating CPD sessions part 2

scameron — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:33:56 +0000

The ‘lighter’ side of life deserves to be taken seriously when considering the facilitation of human success and development.
Matthew Gervais
Facilitating new learning for school staff is certainly a challenging task! As anyone with experience of working with young people will know, bringing out the best in people has delayed results. The full benefit of what we learn today is rarely experienced immediately, but the skilled facilitator will always keep this in mind.
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Teaching teachers: facilitating CPD sessions part 1

scameron — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:38:51 +0000

In teaching others we teach ourselves.
Proverb
Teaching teachers: The positive approach
There will be occasions when you are in the position of delivering or facilitating development sessions for colleagues, whether to convey some school-specific information or to explore potential change in the way your school and its staff operate. Not surprisingly, these sessions can challenge even the most competent of classroom teachers!
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Embedding SEAL for positive effect

scameron — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:21:14 +0000

There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours. To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul.
Arnold Bennett
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Conference report: A culture change for professional development

jlee — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:42:58 +0000

At the 2008 CPD leadership conference two major themes emerged early and recurred throughout the day. First, that we are in a time of culture change that will have far-reaching implications for CPD leaders. Second, that it is more important that ever to engage hard-to-reach colleagues, in order to realise that culture change.
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CPD through teacher enquiry and research

scameron — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:22:38 +0000

Why should teachers use and engage in research activity? With all the workforce pressures on teachers, is such involvement an indulgence they can ill afford? In fact, there is an increasing body of literature and school practice which indicates quite the contrary. Rather than being an effete activity which diverts energies from the school’s core business, school-based enquiry and research are now being seen to make an important contribution to self-evaluation, improvement and the professional learning of staff.
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Does CPD make any difference?

scameron — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:40:24 +0100

CPD coordinators hold a key role – one that needs to be developed further in many schools and colleges. But the starting point must be to think more deeply about the development and training of staff – all staff – in schools and other organisations. As funds and responsibilities are progressively transferred to schools, they can be deployed in more varied and creative ways, leading to more responsive and reflective systems of CPD, and canny coordinators will find the best ways. They will develop their staff well and help schools retain the best staff.
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CPD coordinators' role in professional development portfolios: part 2

scameron — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:22:46 +0100

All progress occurs because people dare to be different.
Harry Millner
Getting staff enthusiastic about portfolios
It can be hugely beneficial for a school to get all staff on board when it comes to developing their portfolios. Prioritising this issue will not only help individuals focus on their own learning, but it will benefit the school in turn through their staff’s enhanced professionalism. Here are some strategies for achieving this which may work in your setting:
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