On Monday 15th June, Fellows and members of the Chartered College of Teaching, and their guests, along with key leaders and thinkers working on teacher professional development gathered at One Birdcage Walk in Westminster for the David Monis-Weston lecture. This annual lecture series, introduced last year by the Teacher Development Trust (TDT), was described by CEO Gareth Conyard, as “being curious, asking hard questions, expanding our understanding“. It is an opportunity for the profession to hold itself to account for the quality of teacher development.
The evening opened with remarks from Dame Alison Peacock, CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching, Gareth Conyard, CEO of TDT, and Paul Mallaband from the lecture’s sponsor, Penrose Education. Dame Alison spoke of the history of the Chartered College’s relationship with TDT and David Monis-Weston, and our shared goal of supporting the effective professional development of teachers and school leaders, in order to keep improving education for our children and young people.
Gareth Conyard reflected on TDT’s 14 years of work to improve teacher professional development, and the decision to become part of the Chartered College rather than continue its mission alone. Far from an ending, Gareth reminded us that the work is still crucial. While TDT achieved so much, there is still more to do to build a professional development system that is as effective as it can be. It is a mission that the Chartered College will continue to champion, working alongside the profession to ensure every teacher has access to the high-quality professional learning they deserve.
Ann Palmer FCCT described Gareth’s remarks as reflecting “with honesty, warmth and deep affection on the legacy of TDT, offering what felt like both a tribute and a farewell.”
The lecture was given by Sufian Sadiq FCCT, Chief Talent and Transformation Officer at the Chiltern Learning Trust, and Co-president-elect of the Chartered College of Teaching. He explored what it really means to teach teachers well, pulling on insights from TDT’s didagogy report. The report sets out that ‘the single biggest factor in helping children succeed is great teaching, and great teaching depends on high-quality professional development’. Effective teacher learning must be responsive to individual identities and school settings, rooted in dialogue and collective sense-making, and sustained by leadership that genuinely values professional growth. As David Monis-Weston himself reflected afterwards, it was a lecture that managed to explore “both the complexity and simplicity of great teaching.”
Sufian opened with the metaphor of a diamond: teachers already have what it takes by the time they qualify, but like diamonds they can be refined and polished to develop their unique brilliance. The work of teacher development isn’t about fixing something that is broken, but recognising and shaping the skills and talent already there. Laura Evans described this as one of the most powerful ideas of the evening, reflecting on “the importance of identity” at the heart of the analogy.
Sufian continued that the coaches behind elite football players like Ronaldo are rarely studied or celebrated in the way that the players are, and the same is true in education. As one attendee put it, “the intuition of the experts in our classrooms is part of their excellence” and the challenge is building systems that develop that, rather than replacing it with procedures. Adam Kohlbeck FCCT, who leads on teacher development at Chiltern Learning Trust and whose work featured in Sufian’s lecture, reflected that “we have so much expertise in the sector, we just need to mobilise it to build our own capacity.“
The evening left many attendees with plenty to reflect on. Kayleigh MacLaughlin shared that “in a sector that can sometimes feel dominated by buzzwords and polished narratives, his honesty and humility were incredibly refreshing“, while Ziggy Moore, noted the importance of teacher development that “genuinely supports belonging, representation and inclusion.“
It was a wonderful evening that reflected the best of what both organisations have stood for. As Dame Alison said in her opening remarks, the College is committed to building on TDT’s legacy to support CPD leaders in trusts and schools to reflect on the professional development they offer and strengthen their strategic leadership of it. You’ll find TDT’s research on the Chartered College website.
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