Continuing Professional Development

Tegryn Jones

Policy and Planning Officer

Focus of talk:

1. Background

2. CPD pilot projects

3. Developing a Professional

Development Framework

Background

The Council’s advice document “Continuing Professional Development: An Entitlement for All” presented to the Welsh Assembly Government in April 2002.

CPD – An Entitlement for All

Five Key principles:

All teachers should be entitled to high quality CPD throughout their career, irrespective of location

CPD should be defined broadly to include all formal and informal learning of teachers

Teachers have both an entitlement and a responsibility for their own CPD

A CPD Framework must reflect individual teachers’ own needs as well as those of the school, local and central government

There is a close relationship between CPD and the performance management process

Welsh Assembly Government response

In March 2003 the Welsh Assembly Government responded to the Council’s advice document with the consultation on ‘Continuing Professional Development for Teachers – The Way Forward’

The consultation proposed putting individually focused CPD on a permanent footing and developing a Professional Development Framework

Following the consultation the Welsh Assembly Government invited the Council to undertake this work.

The Council’s

CPD pilot projects

CPD PROJECTSPhase 1

(September 2001 – March 2002) 3 projects - £1 million

Evaluation report – June 2002

Phase 2

(April 2002 – March 2003) – 7 projects - £5 million

Evaluation report – June 2003

Phase 3

(April 2003 – March 2004) 6 projects - £5 million

Evaluation report – June 2004

CPD Funding OpportunitiesProfessional Development Bursary – up to £500 to be spent on a professional development activity of the teacher’s choice

International Visits– up to £2000 (£1500 for visits within Europe) to undertake a visit or exchange with another school or other suitable institution outside the UK, to view good practice and exchange ideas

Teacher Research Scholarship – up to £3,000 to undertake action research on an area relevant to the individual’s or school’s development

Teacher Sabbaticals – up to £5,000 to enable a teacher to undertake a prolonged period of study or develop transferable skills in a different environment

Professional Networks – up to £10,000 to enable a group of teachers from one subject area, school cluster or LEA to work together on a regular basis

Whole Staff Initiative – up to £30,000 to a school to undertake a professional development project that will involve and impact on all teachers at the school

Participants on Phase 2Number of teachers – 7,774

% primary – 68% % secondary – 29%

% according to post (individual applications)

•Headteachers – 9%

•Other Senior Management – 12%

•Head of Department / Curriculum Leader – 38%

•Classroom teacher – 34%

•Supply – 1%

•Others – 6%

Participants on Phase 2Number of years worked as a teacher

Years % participants % registered

0 – 5 21 23

6 – 10 22 14

11- 15 14 8

16 – 20 12 7

21 - 25 14 13

26 and over 18 35

Participants on Phase 2Subjects (all sectors)

Special Needs – 11.3% ICT – 9.1%

English – 8.9% Management – 7.2%

Science – 6.2% Early years – 5.4%

Humanities – 4.5% Mathematics – 4.0%

PSHE – 2.6% Design and Technology – 2.3%

Music – 2.1% MFL – 1.9%

Welsh (2nd Language) – 1.8% PE – 1.7%

Religious Education – 1.7% Welsh (1st Language) – 1.3%

Participants on Phase 3

Since April 2003, over 8,000 teachers have received funding and over £4,000,000 has been allocated.

EVALUATION OF THE COUNCIL’S CPD PILOT PROJECTS

EVALUATIONAll participants, and virtually all headteachers and mentors, indicated that the projects had been effective or very effective in improving participants’ professional knowledge and skills. Benefits included:

•the development of individual needs and skills, through activities tailored to personal needs, with a focus on self-planning and development

•motivational and career incentives, including enthusiasm to consider new perspectives and innovations, increase in status and esteem, and the breaking down of professional isolation

•identification and adoption of good practice, especially through the visit & exchange funding

•time to develop reflective practice – the benefit most often cited by respondents

•work-based learning, both in their own school and in others

•working collaboratively with other professionals

•learning and teaching gains, including developing good practice in KS2/KS3 transition.

EVALUATION BENEFITS TO SCHOOLS

Virtually all participants and their headteachers indicated that their activity had been effective or very effective in improving provision and raising standards in their schools. Benefits included:

•improvements in specific skills

•introduction and evaluation of new teaching strategies

•curricular enrichment through collaboration between schools

•curricular enrichment through the production or acquisition of new materials

•improved continuity and progression on transfer between schools

•improved continuity and progression within schools.

Conclusions

The Professional Development pilot projects have been very successful in :

• Raising the quality and quantity of CPD for teachers in Wales;

• Developing a work and profession-based culture for CPD;

• Promoting teaching as an evidence – based profession;

• Contributing to school improvement; and,

• Fostering collaborative work between teachers and between schools

Overall, they represent very good value for money ... and should be a settled entitlement for teachers in Wales

Recommendations

1. The Welsh Assembly Government should continue to make funding available through the Council to enable pilot projects to become a settled entitlement for teachers.

2. To maximise the impact of the pilot projects, the Council should consider:

• how it can better promote the scheme to increase participation from under-represented groups and areas

• ways in which good practice generated by the pilot projects can be shared and disseminated

• producing clear criteria on the eligibility of award-bearing courses for bursaries and scholarship awards.

3. To further enhance quality control, the Council should:

• tighten the criteria for the awarding of scholarship funding

• encourage participants to engage in discussion with their headteachers / line-managers, to agree objectives and outcomes for their planned activities.

Developing a Professional Development Framework

The Professional Development Framework

In September 2003, the Council commenced work on the development of a Professional Development Framework. The work is in its early stages however, the Framework is likely to consider:

• coherence and progression in standards

• professional recognition and qualifications

• quality assurance of providers

The Professional Development Framework (continued)

The work is being led by the Council, however, a Task Group has been set up to support the work. The Task Group includes:

• teachers and head teachers

• representatives of ADEW, UCET Cymru, the USP for Education, Estyn and the Welsh Assembly Government

Contact

For more information contact:

General Teaching Council for Wales, 4th Floor, Southgate House, Wood Street, Cardiff, CF10 1EW

Tel: 02920 550 350

Fax: 02920 550 360

E-mail: cpd@gtcw.org.uk

Web address – www.gtcw.org.uk