The teaching profession is up against it at the moment. It faces challenges around recruitment and retention, restrictions on funding, and too often feels a lack of trust in its ability to educate children and young people.
As an organisation, we know that one of the most powerful ways to support teachers and school leaders is to give them the opportunity to access professional development. That is why, in response to the Labour Party’s mission document on Breaking Down the Barriers to Opportunity, we began to explore their proposal of an entitlement to continuous professional development.
There are a number of things to consider when thinking about what an entitlement to CPD might look like, such as:
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what is the current perception of CPD in the sector?
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what counts as CPD?
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what is currently available and is it effective?
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how much funding is available (and what activity should be funded)?
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how will it be fair and equitable?
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how will it be delivered and measured?
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how will teachers and school leaders know the development undertaken is having an impact on the quality of teaching?
