Tags: Continuing Professional Development | CPD Coordinator
We look at a CPD plan that links professional development to a system of accreditation.
One effect of government policies and plans for education has been that local authorities have produced strategies and support systems for the professional learning of all staff working in schools. Sometimes they have done that in collaboration with other authorities and with higher education. From time to time CPD Update has brought you information like this from different parts of the UK. Bury MBC’s education service has produced a very comprehensive CPD rationale in which collaboration is an important theme. It states: ‘Raising achievement through successful professional development requires meaningful partnerships between individuals, schools and the local authority (LA). Such partnerships place professional development at the heart of children’s learning and school improvement. ‘The LA promotes CPD opportunity as informed by needs analysis undertaken with its schools, individuals and by feedback, evaluation and consultation. Effective professional learning starts from the point of view of the learner and research indicates that sustained collaboration, with staff learning from each other, alongside high quality external expertise, as the most effective means to change, develop and improve practice.’ The document also makes it clear that it is addressing the professional learning needs of both teachers and the wider workforce: ‘The school workforce consists of a wide range of staff, either involved directly in the teaching of children, or in supporting their learning. Bury’s CPD strategy aims to support the recruitment, retention and development of a skilled and committed whole school workforce. It endeavours to provide support for and recognition of the achievements of all members of the school workforce by supplying frameworks of opportunity and CPD pathways to guide them through their careers.’ The document contains frameworks of CPD opportunities for teachers, teaching assistants and support staff. It may be of interest for readers to see the range of CPD opportunities for TAs in the table below. What, however, may be of more interest is to see how they are organised and set out, and in particular how they link professional development to a system of accreditation. The document states that regardless of whether staff choose a route of accreditation, they are encouraged to keep a professional development portfolio:
‘This will provide a record of professional development and relevant performance management objectives. It can support personal reflection, be a basis for self-evaluation, development planning and career progression and provide an evidence-base for reflective practitioners, keeping a focus on improving the quality of what they do and the effect this has on children’s learning.’
Thanks to Wendy Jackson and Paul Howard of Bury MBC’s education service for the information supplied here.
Bury’s framework of opportunities for teaching assistants
TA career stage and possible progression route
- Teaching Assistant Bilingual Language Assistant
Level 1
- Teaching Assistant Bilingual Language Assistant
Level 2
- Teaching Assistant Bilingual Language Assistant
Level 3
- Higher Level Teaching Assistant
(HLTA) - TTA (TDA) Professional Standards
- QTS Standards
- Graduate Teacher Programme
- Newly Qualified Teacher
- National Induction Standards
Accreditation opportunities
- Level 1 & 2 Literacy & Numeracy qualifications (Basic Skills)
- Level 1 & 2 Literacy & Numeracy qualifications (Basic Skills)
- APL/APEL towards NVQ Level 2/3 CAT points BTEC level 2/3 APL/APEL from NVQ3 towards HLTA NVQ4
- APL/APEL from NVQ3 NVQ4, HLTA Foundation Degree NVQ Assessor Awards for TAs
- APL from HLTA + foundation degree = 240 CATs + 120 for honours year = 360
Opportunities for the individual
- Join a Professional Association/ Trade Union
- Start a professional portfolio
- Be available for INSET
- Attend staff meetings when appropriate
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of others within the school
- Be aware of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce
- Join a Professional Association/ Trade Union
- Maintain a professional portfolio
- Understand school policies relevant to specialist subject support
- Liaise effectively with parents/carers
- Attend INSET & staff meetings where appropriate
- Be aware of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce
- Join a Professional Association/Trade Union
- Maintain & develop a professional portfolio
- Take responsibility for coordinating a school activity
- Be involved with & contribute to the whole school
- Coordinate & organise children attending extra curricular activities or work experience
- Be aware of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce
- Access opportunities to support a work/life balance
- Join a Professional Association/Trade Union
- Contribute to planning, monitoring & assessment arrangements in partnership with class teacher
- Work collaboratively with colleagues
- Understand assessment procedures & evaluate children’s progress in a range of assessment activities.
- Be aware of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce
- Access opportunities to support a work/life balance
- Join a Professional Association/Trade Union
- Start Career Entry Development Profile
- Attend staff meetings
- Develop a personal learning plan
- Develop a career plan
- Look at the resources in your school
- Visit local educational venues, museums etc
- Read TES & other professional journals
- Access internet resource sites
- Be aware of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce
- Participate in early Professional Development Programme
- Access opportunities to support a work/life balance
Opportunities in your school
- Assist class teacher in administrative/organisational tasks (displays; photocopying; record keeping)
- Support children’s learning as directed by class teacher
- Encourage children to stay on task
- Support positive behaviour
- Supervise children at break times
- Have a basic understanding of SEN as defined in the SEN Code of Practice
- Focused discussion about CPD needs (Inclusion in the school’s Performance Management programme?)
- Enter child data using ICT
- Update child records
- Assist in writing IEPs & attend meetings/reviews
- Care & preparation of teacher support materials
- Contribute to the assessment of children (Inclusion in the school’s Performance Management programme?)
- Mentoring to support your CPD
- Apply considerable knowledge & understanding of the curriculum, age range or SEN
- Take a lead responsibility for coordinating a school activity
- Use specialist knowledge to support children
- Support senior management team in the deployment of TA levels 1 & 2
- Coordinate relevant information for IEPs & SEN reviews
- Cover Supervision
- Make a significant contribution to teaching and learning in the classroom
- Under the direction & supervision of a class teacher – take whole classes
- Progress children’s learning
- Use ICT effectively for own & children’s benefit
- Plan own lessons
- Promote & support inclusion
- Partnership/curriculum coordinator
- School’s NQT induction programme
- Observation of colleagues
- Observation by colleagues
- Being mentored
- In-class support
- Assist in arranging a visit for children
- Plan with other colleagues
- PM target linked with school improvement
Opportunities available through links with other schools & establishments
- Local TA networks
- Training opportunities as part of local school cluster groups
- Membership of TA cluster groups
- NVQ training
- Observe good practice in other schools
- Attend a TA support group
- Observe good practice in local schools
- Network with other HLTAs in local schools to support practice
- Link with Holy Cross College & Liverpool Hope University to pursue a foundation degree
- Visit similar schools
- Visit different schools or key stages
- Observe teaching in other schools
- ‘Best practice visits’ to other schools
- Join local NQT networks
Opportunities available through links with other schools & establishments
- Local TA networks
- Training opportunities as part of local school cluster groups
- Membership of TA cluster groups
- NVQ training
- Observe good practice in other schools
- Attend a TA support group
- Observe good practice in local schools
- Network with other HLTAs in local schools to support practice
- Link with Holy Cross College & Liverpool Hope University to pursue a foundation degree
- Visit similar schools
- Visit different schools or key stages
- Observe teaching in other schools
- ‘Best practice visits’ to other schools
- Join local NQT networks
Opportunities through external bodies and through national programmes
- 4 day induction for new teaching assistants
- Professional Association/Trade Union CPD Programme
- Cache level 2 certificate for TAs (CTA2)
- NVQ level 2
- Cache level 2 certificate in Child Care & Education (CCE)
- NVQ 2 Support Work in Schools (Pilot)
- NVQ3 for TAs at local college
- NCFE Certificate for Special Needs Assistants (SSA)
- NVQ level 3 in Early Years Care & Education
- 5 Day Training Course for Learning Mentors
- For full list of presently accredited qualifications visit www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk
- Achieved NVQ3
- NVQ 4 in Early Years Care & Education
- Assessment for HLTA status (TDA) or
- HLTA 50 day training programme or
- Cover Supervisor Training
- National Training in Behaviour & Attendance Management (Pilot)
- 5 Day Training Course for Learning Mentors
- Professional Association/Trade Union CPD Programme
- Enrol on the Foundation Degree in Supporting Learning and Teaching (Holy Cross College)
- Following Foundation Degree enrol on the BA in Inclusive Education (top up to Honours; Holy Cross )
- Sure Start Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree – Early Years (Bury College)
- Enrol on BA/BSc Combined Honours (Holy Cross)
- Primary PGCE (Holy Cross)
- Professional Association/Trade Union CPD Programme
- Professional Association/Trade Union CPD Programme
- Graduate Teacher Programme
- Fast Track Teacher Programme
- Register with GTC
- Join a professional subject organisation
This article first appeared in CPD Update – Jul 2006
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