culture

Shifting the CPD Culture

Contributors to London’s Learning believe that the central role of a CPD leader in a London school is to establish a culture in which continuing professional development (CPD) is at the heart of school improvement. London’s Learning describes this as a professional learning community.

There are two aspects to shifting the culture for CPD:

The overall culture in the school.
Establishing a professional learning culture.

The overall culture in the school

In The Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners, CPD is seen as one of the five key principles of reform.

“ A major commitment to staff development with high quality support and training to improve assessment, care and teaching. ”

The Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners; DFES, July 2004

CPD is highlighted as a significant way of achieving the aims of the five year strategy through:

encouraging staff in schools to drive their own development
closer links between the Performance Management cycle and CPD
CPD and progression on the pay spine
recognition of the role of experienced staff
mentoring and coaching as effective CPD activities
the need for networks and partnership learning.

The strategy described “a new professionalism” with a focus on staff who continually develop their own expertise, and who help to develop expertise in others. There is a strong message on the need to invest in all staff so that adults in the children’s workforce have the capacity, flexibility, skills and motivation to help children and young people thrive. The overall culture of a school is one of the key ways in which this “new professionalism” will be reflected.

In April 2005, the Teachers’ Training Agency (TTA) took on a new remit for CPD to help bring more coherence to CPD in schools becoming the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to reflect its role in support of all staff in the children’s workforce.

In 2007, the TDA published its National priorities:

Pedagogy

Personalisation

People

Full details of the 2007 National CPD priorities can be seen on the London's Learning Community within the London Centre for Leadership in Learning Virtual Learning Environment

The TDA works with other partners such as the GTC, NCSL and Specialist Schools and Academies Trust in shaping its response to these aspects.

The TDA affirms the significance of the culture of the school in supporting professional development.

“ We take the view that this is an opportune time to set a new frame for CPD, designed to bring about a cultural change in the way it is managed in schools. ” 2005

The culture of a school is often described as “the way we do things here”. It is expressed through language, behaviours, actions and practices.

The Hay Group described school culture as:

“the ultimate ceiling on our ability to transform our school and raise standards. Other initiatives, whether focusing on teaching strategies, leadership development, structure, team work or collaboration, are wasted, doomed to deliver a fraction of their potential, without the right cultural supports. Viewed more positively, culture can also be the ultimate form of ‘capacity’ – a reservoir of energy and wisdom to sustain motivation and co-operation, shape relationships and aspirations, and guide effective choices at every level of the school.”

A Culture for Learning - An investigation into the values and beliefs associated with effective schools. 2004

London’s Learning aims to help a CPD leader in a London school tap into the reservoir and bring about a cultural change in the way CPD is led and supported by all members of the school’s professional learning community.

Establishing a professional learning culture

There has been a shift in the culture of schools in London and nationally with regard to CPD. The national agenda reflects this shift also.

CPD leaders in London have found the following analogy, offered by a headteacher in an Islington school, useful to describe the shift in the CPD culture over the last few years:

Indiscriminate selection of items of food prompted by TV advertising, 2 for 1 deals. Items rarely make a meal.	Bolt- on or one off CPD “items” unrelated to the needs of the individual. Items rarely add up to a coherent individual development plan.	EMERGING as a professional learning community
Items selected from a shopping list: basic plan of what is wanted	An element of selection of CPD activities, possibly what is always chosen	EMERGING as a professional learning community
A recipe is used to select the food with a picture of what the items of food will look like in combination	Needs identification leads to selection of CPD activities and the purpose of CPD is appreciated	DEVELOPING as a professional learning community
A menu of balanced courses determines the selection of food	A coherent individual plan where needs are matched with a range of CPD opportunities	ESTABLISHING a professional learning community
A vision of “healthy eating” determines the menu, recipes, shopping lists and items of food chosen	A vision of CPD in which individuals and teams engage in opportunities and activities which have an impact on both staff and pupils	ESTABLISHING a professional learning community

The shift is from the “supermarket” approach of one-off INSET activities undertaken by large groups of staff unrelated to individual, team or whole school needs to a professional learning community in which there is an “a la carte” vision of the purposes and principles of CPD for all staff.

Further Resources

- The Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners - DFES, July 2004 www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategy

- Training and Development Agency for schools: www.tda.gov.uk

- A Culture for Learning - An investigation into the values and beliefs associated with effective schools, 2004 - Hay Group: http://www.haygroup.co.uk/downloads/Culture_for_learning.pdf

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