Considering the importance of CPD

There are a few areas within the OfSTED inspection framework that need leaders, managers and staff to give consideration to CPD. These are:

how successfully leaders, managers and governors secure and sustain improvements to teaching, learning and assessment through high quality professional development, including developing management and leadership capacity and robust performance management to tackle weaknesses and promote good practice across all types of provision

Leaders, managers and governors use incisive performance management that leads to professional development that encourages, challenges and supports staff improvement. Teaching is highly effective across the provision including in subcontracted provision.

Staff reflect on and debate the way they teach. They feel deeply involved in their own professional development. Leaders have created a climate in which staff are motivated and trusted to take risks and innovate in ways that are right for their learners.

Staff value their continuing professional development. It is having a positive impact on their teaching and the progress learners make. Teaching is consistently strong across the provider or improving rapidly.

Recording CPD in Stedfast

One of the modules we have been developing on Stedfast is the ability for staff and leaders to manage the CPD process more robustly. Too often, organisations will update CPD records before an inspection and miss events that have taken place. However for CPD to be effective it needs to be planned, managed and monitored. We thought it might be helpful to put a few ideas together to consider for your CPD activities.

1. There needs to be a focus on how CPD can have a positive impact on learners. Consider the CPD that staff are undertaking – why is it being done? Is it just for the benefit of the member of staff or will it have a positive effect on teaching, learning and assessment and the delivery of knowledge and skills.
2. Staff need to consider how their CPD is having a positive impact on them. There needs to be ongoing reflection and analysis. The CPD plan needs to be constructive and be developed over a period of time with obvious continual development.
3. If the member of staff is involved with the delivery of learning, then they need to consider CPD that not only reflects their subject sector area but there also needs to be CPD that supports their development in the delivery of skills and knowledge.
4. There needs to be a broad range of CPD. Consider some of the following: coaching, mentoring and peer review to courses, workshops and formal study.
5. Staff really need to embrace technology too – there are a vast amount of webinars and eLearning available that there will be something to cover every need. Just consider the amount of information freely available on YouTube. Technology can also be used in all aspects of the teaching, learning and assessment to drive improvement and learning opportunities.
6. Use CPD to enhance your organisational performance improvement strategies. You will need to reflect on CPD as part of your self-assessment reporting but it should also be used to help plan initiatives for organisational improvement.

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Stedfast is a quality assurance platform designed for organisations operating in technical and vocational education and training. Please contact us for more information.