Katy Chedzey, our Head of Teaching, Learning & Assessment, provides an update on our CPD QA pilot and how you can share your views.
To put it simply: teacher quality really matters. If we want to improve outcomes for pupils in our schools, we need to ensure they receive high-quality teaching… and this means teachers need access to high-quality CPD.
However, teachers face multiple challenges when it comes to accessing this much-needed high-quality CPD. In a consultation undertaken by the Department of Education (2014), the three most pertinent barriers were:
- Time: 74% said that teachers did not have sufficient time for CPD
- Quality: 56% felt that training was of poor quality or that they lacked the knowledge to be able to choose high-quality CPD
- Cost: 49% identified cost as a barrier.
With teacher time being so precious, and school budgets so limited, it is perhaps now more relevant than ever to be talking about developing a system of quality assurance.
We have recently announced the pilot of a CPD quality assurance system and are drawing upon a range of evidence around teacher professional development to inform the design and development of the system. We’re also working with teachers, school leaders, CPD providers and industry experts to make sure the CPD QA system has the potential to influence and reduce some of the challenges faced by teachers when it comes to accessing high-quality CPD such as those referenced in the consultation above.
WHAT MIGHT ‘QUALITY ASSURANCE CPD’ LOOK LIKE?
By exploring the evidence-base around effective professional development, we have been able to develop twelve criteria which we believe characterise high-quality CPD. Providers will be asked to submit evidence for assessment against each criterion. The evidence will then be reviewed by a panel of assessors, which will include teachers and school leaders.
HOW WILL A QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM HELP TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CPD TEACHERS RECEIVE?
In the long term, we hope that teachers and school leaders would be able to use the quality assurance system to help them make decisions about commissioning CPD. We also hope that CPD providers themselves will benefit from engaging with the quality assurance process, as they will receive valuable feedback, identifying opportunities and areas for development. Ultimately, this should have the potential to bring about system-wide improvements and increase the quality of CPD available to teachers overall.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
It’s vital that teachers and school leaders input into the design and piloting of the programme and we are keen to hear your views. You can view and give your feedback on the draft quality assurance criteria by taking our short survey. At the end of the survey you will also have the opportunity to register your interest to be involved in the next phase of the pilot, for example by becoming a member of our panel or advisory group.