November 2021 Parenta Magazine

What should I look for
when choosing CPD
courses that are worth
investing time and
money in?
Research shows that one of the biggest concerns a setting has
when purchasing CPD is the practical realities of their staff being
The EYFS tells us that staff “must
undertake appropriate training and
professional development that continually
improves’’ (2021; 3.21). To secure an
“outstanding” judgement, a setting needs
to demonstrate that focused and highly
effective professional development is in
place.
However, there is rarely the luxury of time
or money for all staff to do all the training
they would benefit from. And when you do
make that purchase, how can you be sure
that it is going to be advice you can trust
– or have any impact on practice going
forward?
I was a nursery manager for many years,
utilising various styles and approaches to
training.
• I was good at identifying the training
my staff needed, always sure to pick
CPD-certified providers
• I was great at selecting the staff that
would get the most out of it
• We met before hand, and spoke on
their return, identifying the support
they needed
• And most of the time I was pretty
good at organising numbers so that
they could even attend
But the same pattern would frequently
seem to emerge; tremendously
enthusiastic staff returning from their day
out, but weeks later I would see little in the
way of tangible change. While they had
able to do it.
been inspired and captivated, once back
in the realities of a busy nursery, it was like
they had never been. So, what was going
wrong?
It wasn’t until I left practice and became a
consultant myself that I appreciated what it
means to be a CPD-certified provider. And
the little bearing this can have on realised
improvements.
If you want to affect real change, anything
you invest in needs to have direct and
continued impact on the experiences of
your children. And within a busy nursery,
this is rarely going to happen as a direct
result of sitting in a training room for a day.
• Training needs to be delivered by
people who really understand what
it means to work in a busy school
or setting, with the knowledge and
experience of what children need,
and how to go about offering it
• It needs to be realistic advice that you
can trust and believe in
• And there needs to be some
continuation, with ideas you can
reflect on, and revisit. Maybe even
weeks later
It is for these reasons that all the training
I write follows the Department for
Education’s five standards for teachers’
CPD. Working in the early years, we are
less familiar with these standards – but no
less deserving of them. So, let us look at
what they are.
Standard One - professional
development should focus on
improving and evaluating pupil
outcomes
Training should be clear about its expected
impact. Reflecting on knowledge,
experience and goals, and with tools to
help change practice and evaluate impact.
Reflective practice is something we are
very familiar with in the early years. But
without a clear focus, reflections will
have little impact on the outcomes or
experiences of the children.
Standard Two - professional
development should be
underpinned by robust evidence
and expertise
Training should be explicit about the
evidence underpinning the practices it
advocates. Clearly explaining how and
why its messages are intended to work.
Without underpinning knowledge and
understanding, any advice you receive is
unlikely to gain much traction. How many
times have you asked someone to do
something? Without understanding why,
they are unlikely to continue when you are
not around.
Standard Three - professional
development should include
collaboration and expert challenge
Training should include opportunities to
discuss and ask questions. To consider
the impact of methods being trialled and
to challenge expectations.
Training that overlooks opportunities
to discuss current practice or desired
outcomes with colleagues is likely to
simply wash over you. It may sound
hugely inspirational in the moment, but
with little impact down the line.
Standard Four - professional
development should be sustained
over time
Sustained change takes commitment.
For any new practice to embed, the team
needs to be aware of this commitment
and supported in making the changes
required.
Training often feels deeply inspiring on
the day - even days after – but how many
ideas did you carry through? Unless
messages are revisited and supported
after the demands of the day return, they
will be soon forgotten.
Standard Five - professional
development must be prioritised
by school leadership
To support development, leadership teams
need to see its requirement and their role
within the process, along with tools and
resources to support it.
CPD needs to be a priority and supported
by those managing everyone’s time and
budgets. But this can be tough, so anything
that can simplify the process is going to
help make it a reality.
The Nurturing Childhoods Ethos is to offer
the key adults within every child’s life the
knowledge, understanding and support
required to nurture and develop every
child’s full potential.
By embracing these standards, all CPD
is personalised by the teams within each
setting. Progress is driven by the reflections
it prompts, and precise strengths and
areas for improvement are used to target
what will be highly effective professional
development.
The longer Nurturing Childhoods
Accreditation continues to maintain these
standards by following a setting-based
action-research model, so you will be sure
to see deep and sustainable development
taking root throughout your setting.
And with accompanying courses and
materials available for your parents, you
are in a perfect position to work together in
establishing the knowledge, understanding
and support they need too.
Don’t just take my word for it, visit www.
nurturingchildhoods.co.uk where you can
even take a free course.
Kathryn Peckham
As Founder of Nurturing Childhoods,
Dr Kathryn Peckham is a passionate
advocate for children’s access to rich and
meaningful experiences throughout their
foundational early years. Delivering
online courses, training and seminars, she
works with families and settings to identify
and celebrate the impact of effective
childhood experiences as preparation for
all of life’s learning. An active campaigner
for children, she consults on projects,
conducts research for government bodies
and contributes to papers launched in
parliament. Through her consultancy
and research she guides local councils,
practitioners, teachers and parents all
over the world in enhancing children’s
experiences through the experiences
they offer. A highly acclaimed author and
member of parliamentary groups, Kathryn
also teaches a Masters at the Centre for
Research in Early Years.
Get in contact with Kathryn by emailing
info@kathrynpeckham.co.uk
Dr Kathryn Peckham’s exclusive
CPD booster course giveaway
To be in with a chance of winning a CPD Booster
of your choice visit Kathryn’s website
www.nurturing childhoods.co.uk and
click here to enter the competition.
Don’t miss out - the competition will end on
Friday 26th November!
26 November 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | November 2021 27