Continuous Professional Development

At United Learning we know that, to deliver the best for the children and young people we serve, we need to invest in the adults around them. No school can be better than the staff at its heart.

Secondary CPD KPIs

Schools’ CPD programmes develop teachers’ (and classroom based support staff) understanding of Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and their ability to implement these in the classroom, in particular using Teach Like a Champion techniques.
Teachers have a good and improving understanding of the basic principles of cognitive science, such as learning as ‘change in long term memory’, retrieval practice and cognitive load theory.
Every department has quality time given to shared planning and the development of subject specific knowledge.
Professional development is organised using the principles in the CPD handbook (sufficient duration; rhythm; bespoke to staff needs; creates a shared sense of purpose; aligned to pupil learning; balances whole school/subject; regularly evaluated).
There is no inadequate teaching.

Secondary CPD Handbook

The Secondary CPD Handbook, which will be launched at the GEF in September 2020 is intended to create a CPD handbook that will set out in one place: our interpretation of the available evidence on professional development in schools; a framework for what that means schools should do in practice; examples and resources to support leaders of professional development; and the professional development we deliver at Group level and how to access it.

Leadership of professional development

School leaders are crucial in creating the conditions and opportunities for effective professional development to take place for adults, just as they are with ensuring that the learning conditions are protected for the pupils that they serve (Weston & Hindley, 2019; Papay & Kraft, 2019).

In practice, this includes leaders:

being active participants in the school’s professional development programme; delivering and participating in development opportunities.
modelling the approach they want all staff to take to their development. Being reflective about their own development.
affirming and explaining their commitment to staff development regularly. Staff frequently hear from school leaders how they are expected to engage with development and how they will be supported – during recruitment, induction, staff meetings, 1:1 conversations on so on.
backing up words with actions. Leaders protect time for professional development from other tasks and priorities. They seek out, listen to and act upon feedback from staff about their professional development.
creating a physical environment where professional collaboration and development is more likely to happen e.g. shared workspaces, staff rooms, professional development libraries.
ensuring the person leading professional development of teachers is an excellent teacher, seen by staff as highly credible. Giving them time and support to understand how teachers improve and plan activity that makes that happen. This often includes an opportunity to visit another school where professional development is really effective.
ensuring leadership of the development of support staff at a senior level.

Creating the conditions for effective professional development also includes removing barriers that can stop it from being effective. For example:

Poor behaviour or frequent disruption in class will make improving teachers’ instruction almost impossible.
Improving practice takes time, so workload can be a very significant barrier.
Accountability is important, but it can inhibit staff willingness to be open about what they need and want to improve. Making sure learning walks, observations and the PDR process are explicitly about development supports a culture of improvement.

The Handbook covers the following:

Content of professional development.
Coaching and mentoring.
Organising professional development.
Delivering professional development.
Central support.

3: Curriculum Implementation and Deliberate Practice sessions

Departmental meetings: Wherever possible, time should be built in for departments to meet every week into the timetable/school day. Remove administrative business from weekly departmental meetings. The focus of these meetings should be joint planning and developing subject knowledge and subject specific pedagogy. They should be seen as ‘Curriculum Implementation’ sessions.

Deliberate Practice Sessions: Time should also be built in for ‘deliberate practice’ sessions, where staff come together to practice key Rosenshine and TLAC techniques. This will be enhanced by the role out of the Iris camera system during 2020-21.