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The extra dimension
the
faculty
teams
are supporters in
professional development and
not the judges. You need that separation.”
He also stressed the importance of
observations being used to gain a more
detailed view of overall student progress
and measure CPD effectiveness.
Sharing best practice between
schools was an approach often used as a
professional development tool but this
was sometimes ineffective – especially
if the systems weren’t there to allow for
the knowledge to be transferred in a
meaningful and useful way.
The cultural differences between
schools were a major stumbling block
here but it was a challenge rarely
acknowledged in many instances of
collaboration. We agreed that evaluation
was important too - schools needed to
question
how they
evaluated
their practice
and what
good practice
looked like in their
schools.
“We have to keep
evaluating what we do
to keep progressing,”
said Donna Casey. “I think
as teachers we are often not
very good at doing that. We
need to be able to say that that’s
not right, move on, and change
that.”
We agreed that accountability
was an important factor in
professional development – but it
needed to apply to all players in the
professional development hierarchy.
Ashley Harrold stressed that ultimate
responsibility for good CPD provision lay
with senior leaders. “If staff do not have
access to a programme that meets their
needs then you are on rocky ground as
senior leaders not providing what they
need,” he said.
Case study – CPD at Manor
Academy
Professional development at the Manor
Academy in Nottinghamshire is guided
by a firm set of principles: “CPD is not
‘done’ to staff. They direct it,” says deputy
headteacher Donna Casey. “We also
believe that the answers to most challenges
lie within the academy and this helps us
develop a culture of mutual support.”
CPD at Manor is made up of these key
approaches:
• Performance management review
(PMR) targets set by the individual
and greater individualisation of CPD
• Creation of teaching and learning
communities
• Mini CPD sessions at staff briefing,
dubbed ‘tweak of the week’
• Development of Teachmeet sessions
• Strengthening of professional
development links with local academies
and schools across the country
Manor dedicates two hours a week to
staff professional development. One
hour is concerned with whole academy
initiatives and pastoral training, with the
other focused on teaching and learning
community activity. These small groups
are made up of staff from a range of
different learning strands, led by an
exceptional practitioner and focused on
developing each member’s PMR targets.
Bespoke training sessions are delivered
through these sessions, with evidence of
the training and its impact recorded in
the Bluewave.SWIFT school improving
planning system.
Each teaching and learning community
session consists of the same ingredients:
feedback from all group members, action
learning set activities, focused coaching
conversations, Iris feedback and planning,
technique modelling to group members,
focused independent learning enquiry and
personalised group CPD from external
providers.
Keith Wright is managing
director of school
improvement planning
specialists Bluewave.SWIFT -
www.bluewaveswift.co.uk.
David Weston is chief
executive of the Teacher
Development Trust, the
national charity for effective
professional development in
schools and colleges - www.
teacherdevelopmenttrust.org.
Summer 2014 | 67