Purposes of professional development

At its very best, contributors to London’s Learning believe CPD:

Improves pupils’ learning:

• pupils engaged in a dynamic learning programme with their teachers and other staff are more likely to achieve
• staff who develop skills and confidence can provide effective learning experiences for a wide range of London pupils.

Improves teaching:

• develops and sustains skills which enable staff to do their jobs effectively
• updates knowledge
• develops best practices
• widens the repertoire of classroom skills
• enhances strong practice
• develops specialisations thus improving teaching quality.

Helps to support staff appropriately:

• strengthens the recruitment of staff
• promotes personal and career development enabling staff to make more informed choices about career pathways
• informs the appropriate deployment of staff.

Develops a can-do and problem-solving culture:

• by motivating staff
• by raising self-esteem
• by building staff confidence
• by cultivating innovation
• by adapting to positive change.

Influences retention of staff:

• re-energises staff
• inspires staff
• nurtures creativity
• sustains interest in teaching and learning.

Promotes a positive ethos and learning culture:

• through high expectations
• through discussion, dialogue, trialling and reflection
• through building internal capacity
• excellence in learning throughout the school.

Nurtures self-evaluation:

• offers opportunities for self-reflection, for research, for self-evaluation at individual and whole school level
• makes performance management a formative and development opportunity rather than a summative process.

Improves leadership:

• develops people’s strengths
• broadens people’s ability to take a lead on whole school initiatives
• develops people to take up new roles
• develops an understanding of the context in which staff work at national, local and school level leading to greater cohesion in pupils’ learning.

Contributes to school improvement and transformation:

• by engaging staff as learners in collaborative enquiry
• by sharing the knowledge and skills of all staff
• through collective responsibility for pupil and staff achievement
• by valuing every individual.

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