Staff Continuing Professional Development
Intent
At The Bemrose School, we recognise that effective CPD offers one of the most efficient ways to improve student performance, increase staff retention and develop a culture of excellence. The overriding purpose is to help teachers continually improve the quality of education so that both they, and our students, can exceed their expectations and be inspired to achieve their full potential throughout their whole life whilst ensuring we meet statutory requirements.
Our core CPD offer is built around our school priorities and alongside this, our masterclasses allow for staff to build a more bespoke CPD programme to develop their own pedagogy.
Implementation
Department CPD Time/Teaching and Learning Communities – We know how much staff value time to work together in departments and understand the impact of subject specific CPD and so ensure that there are regular opportunities for staff to access subject specific CPD and sharing of good practice. Having an all through school, allows us greater access to colleagues in all key stages to network and share curriculum resources across the subject areas.
Leadership at Bemrose recognise the importance of giving departments the freedom to identify, through self-review, areas for development. Time is calendared for every department to run a subject specific session (Teaching and Learning Community (TLC)) at least once per half term and this comes from department self-evaluation and is informed by outcomes. For example, if mock examinations demonstrate an area that scored lower than others, heads of department should look at whether or not subject specific CPD in this area and shared planning may support improved outcomes.
To support this programme, departments use key questions within the sessions to ensure that discussion remains evidence led and linked to school priorities – the key questions for this academic year are:
Leadership Development – Access to NPQs and other professionally accredited leadership courses are encouraged for staff at appropriate stages in their career and we also support staff to deliver NPQs for external agencies. This work builds expertise in leadership development that we can utilise back in our school.
There are continued opportunities for staff to develop their professional career within Bemrose through Associate Leadership positions. Currently, there are 2 members of staff attached to the core leadership team allowing them to develop as well as building additional capacity to the leadership structure.
Masterclasses – Through staff feedback and quality assurance, we regularly review and identify areas that will make the biggest difference without impacting negatively on staff workload and well being. Masterclass Sessions led in-house by colleagues have been well received as they are context specific, minimalise change required and develop greater staff buy-in. These also allow staff to select the courses most appropriate for them and take into account well-being in allowing a remote option.
This is subject to change throughout the academic year based on continuous evaluation of staff need – additional sessions may be added on the nights advertised. Sessions are recorded and contain a live evaluation to be completed as part of the session to ensure retention and recall.
This year, the masterclass programme has been refined to allow staff to follow a “golden thread” of training according to their needs as a practitioner. Staff are free to attend as many sessions as they wish but must attend a minimum of 4 hours as part of their directed time.
There is also a 7th Strand based around Neurolinguistic Programming and this will be formed of 7 sessions run by an external specialist throughout the Spring and Summer Term
External Affiliations We utilise external memberships with organisations such as The Key for School Leaders alongside our bank of recorded Masterclasses to allow us to direct staff towards CPD in line with their own development priorities. All staff have access to the evidence based “Walkthru” series and all associated resources. The ease of systems such as this with a library of webinars that staff can watch at any time provides additional flexibility to busy teachers.
We work in close partnership with Landau Forte, University of Derby and The Spencer Teaching Hub, to welcome ITT students into several departments every year and have this year expanded to include Teach First and Teaching Apprenticeships. We recognise the value that having individuals at the start of their career can bring to departments and the wider school.
