Engaging in effective professional development is a core part of what it means to be a teacher, and one of the best investments we can make to improve the school experience of pupils. Yet too much professional development is failing to respond to the needs of teachers and school leaders.
This profession-led review will build on the latest evidence and engage thousands of teachers and leaders in setting out what effective professional development should look like in different contexts, to develop a framework to support the creation, delivery, and selection of professional development.
Why do we need to review the Professional Development Standard?
Effective teaching requires a knowledgeable and skilled profession. Teachers and school leaders are ambitious for their pupils, and for their own professional learning. They want professional development that is high-quality, relevant to their context and capable of supporting meaningful changes in practice.
The current Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development was published 10 years ago, before the introduction of the Early Career Framework. Since then, there have been changes to policy on Initial Teacher Training and National Professional Qualifications. This evolution has had a significant impact on the development experience of teachers and school leaders.
The majority of professional development continues to be offered outside of the ‘Golden Thread’ – through INSET and bought-in provision – and the quality of this development is variable, while growth in technology has also impacted on the content and delivery of professional development. As work by the Teacher Development Trust last year showed, 39% of teachers and school leaders still feel that the professional development they engage with fails to improve their practice. That can only mean that valuable time and money is being wasted.
Revised professional development standards will build on the latest evidence, including the landmark Didagogy study published last year, and be grounded in the experiences of teachers. They will set out how Professional Development should be created and delivered by those providing it, and how teachers and school leaders can make the most effective choices.
Professional engagement
This will be a Review by the profession, for the profession.
This review will develop a new set of Professional Development Standards informed by the latest evidence, experiences of teachers and leaders, and extensive engagement across the education sector. This will include a 100 member Teacher Forum, broadly representative of the profession, alongside wider engagement targeting at least 10,000 teachers and 1,000 school leaders. It will also bring together MAT CEOs, academics, CPD leads, providers, policymakers, unions and perspectives from other professions and jurisdictions. More information will be available here.
A steering group will provide expertise, diversity of thought and constructive challenge. It will be chaired by Professor Sam Twiselton, OBE and hosted by the Chartered College of Teaching.
Steering group members:
- Professor Sam Twiselton OBE (Chair)
- Dr Grace Healy (Vice-Chair)
- Leora Cruddas
- Professor Gerry Czerniawski
- Heena Dave
- Dr Calum Davey
- Professor Becky Francis
- Sam Gibbs
- Sinéad Mc Brearty
- Dr Di Swift
- Sonia Thompson
- Shareen Wilkinson
Sam Twiselton OBE, Independent Chair of the Review of Professional Development Standards, said:
“This Review is a fantastic chance to make a real difference to the way professional development is created and delivered. We know what an impact effective professional development can have. I am particularly keen to engage with as many teachers and school leaders as possible so that the outcome of this Review has a really meaningful impact in classrooms up and down the country.”
Alison Peacock, CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching said:
“I am proud to be hosting this Review. The Chartered College exists to empower teachers and leaders, and we are clear that they deserve the very best professional development available. Creating a new set of standards is part of the overall structure of support that the profession needs, and I am delighted to be working across the sector on this.”
David Monis-Weston, Chair of the previous review of Teachers’ Professional Standards, said:
“It is great to see this Review going ahead. Since the last review, we’ve seen a massively increased central teacher development offer and new frameworks for ITT, early career and NPQs. It’s definitely time to update the Standards and weave in the significantly larger evidence base on what is effective and how teachers, schools, providers and government can design professional development that will allow school staff to succeed so that pupils thrive.”