CEA@Islington's CPD strategy

This CPD strategy is set within the context of Cambridge Education @ Islington's key values and is focused on activities in the transitional Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) to build schools' capacity for school improvement.

Continuous improvement - promote a culture of achievement where striving to be the best is accepted across the service and where creativity and risk taking is encouraged in the pursuit of excellence
Equality - provide an environment where equality of opportunity is embedded in all activities and where diversity of experience and backgrounds is celebrated and drawn on positively to enhance the service offered to pupils, parents and schools
Honesty and transparency - say what we mean and do what we say, both within the organisation and in dealing with schools and other stakeholders
Positive partnership working - actively work in partnership with all stakeholders to ensure recognition of all contributions and promote effective and creative team work across the organisation
Staff empowerment - encourage and promote "transformational leadership" where individual members of staff are encouraged to take responsibility for and exercise leadership in their area of work
Continuous learning - develop a community of staff where learning never stops and is seen as a tool for empowerment and liberation
Responsibility and accountability - ensure a clear framework of accountabilities for work at all levels.

Transitional CYPP priorities

The transitional CYPP is organised around the 5 outcomes stated in "Every Child Matters" (be healthy , stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, achieve economic wellbeing).

In delivering these Cambridge Education @ Islington will develop an Education Plan.

Underpinning the Plan are the 5 key drivers:

eliminating underachievement and weaknesses in provision;
reducing gaps in attainment;
ensuring effective leadership at every level in every school or institution;
securing rigorous self-evaluation; and
championing the interests of children and their families, through high quality educational leadership and innovation, effective partnership working with schools, parents and communities and a sharp, proactive accountability framework.

Cambridge Education@ Islington believes that Continuing Professional Development plays a central role in enabling schools to sustain improvement, work collaboratively and yet develop their autonomy to become effective self-evaluating institutions. The strategy builds on previous knowledge and experience and relates to the current and emerging roles of all staff employed in our education centres and schools. It aims to assist schools and centres in developing their Institutions as Learning Communities.

We believe that developing the capacity for pupils' learning is linked directly to improving the capacity for continuous learning for all staff and governors. The strategy supports and promotes the notion that CPD should be seen as an entitlement and a responsibility that goes hand in hand with the concept of life-long learning.

Our strategy for CPD will:

consider the implications for professional learning within the government’s 5 year strategy
recognise the necessity for a coherent, integrated programme, valuing the many forms of professional development available to staff
be built on our knowledge of the linguistic and ethnic diversity of our pupil population
promote a culture of shared responsibility for CPD and professional growth between individual staff, team leaders, school management, Cambridge Education @ Islington and our partner agencies in Children’s Services, including Health, Social Services and the voluntary sector
be collaborative and based on needs identified through the CYPP, school improvement plans, headteachers’ and other customer groups, Ofsted reports and the local and national context
reflect local and national strategies and targets for training and developing the whole school workforce as result of the ‘Every Child Matters’ strategy, including the development of the multi-agency workforce in Children’s Centres, and extended schools
encourage schools to recognise and develop expertise amongst all staff at all levels who facilitate, direct and enhance pupils’ learning and take account of the School Workforce Development Board’s plans for whole school teams
seek to motivate and retain a high quality workforce through promoting job satisfaction, personal achievement, individual and team effort, thus providing for professional advancement within Islington Education Institutions
make use of research findings to inform effective CPD practice
support and celebrate a culture of professional learning, networking and dissemination of good practice within and between schools (through the intranet and web links,Primary Learning Networks, Cluster groups and the Early Years Register of good Practice) in order to improve further quality of teaching, encouraging staff to learn from each other
support schools in managing and developing their own CPD strategy through the development and dissemination of ‘London’s Learning’
encourage schools to link CPD with performance management and school improvement plans and to evaluate its impact through the school self evaluation process
promote the CPD strategy to governors and consider their role in the process
promote a healthy work-life balance and enable staff to sustain career-long personal and professional growth.
help us develop a workforce that reflects our diversity.

A CPD opportunities framework for Islington

A number of key elements in the strategy will be addressed by developing a CPD Opportunities Framework. The Framework identifies professional development opportunities and pathways for all staff appropriate to their current role and beyond. In doing so it seeks to establish a clear partnership between all stakeholders in the workforce and upholds the principle of continuous professional learning, which is at the heart of School Improvement.

The role of Cambridge Education @ Islington in the framework

CE @ Islington’s continuing professional development provision will support recruitment, retention, and career progression, providing recognition for the achievements of all members of the workforce of the schools and other educational establishments.

This provision will:

include a comprehensive and responsive range of development packages and programmes, with clear aims, objectives and target audiences, based on local and national priorities
support and promote the development of high quality teaching and learning and inclusive education
provide development opportunities for all staff at different levels and stages of their career linked to appropriate National Standards
where appropriate, in partnership with HEI’s, provide accreditation for our centre-based courses and encourage the accreditation of school-based activities through the Teacher Learning Academy
where appropriate, provide learning opportunities through partnership with outside providers
be informed by needs analysis undertaken with its schools and by feedback, evaluation and consultation
help schools and their staff to consider and evaluate the wide range of CPD resources (e.g. Strategy and Induction materials) and opportunities available to them
use and promote a range of links with partner organisations including: Higher Education Institutes (HEI), National College for School Leadership (NCSL), Teaching Training Agency (TTA), Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Learning and Skills Council (LSC), General Teaching Council (GTC), London Challenge, Subject and Professional Associations, other LEAs and CPD providers and local organisations
include Quality Assurance measures at all stages.

Why should schools and centres support the professional development opportunities framework?

In supporting the framework, schools are demonstrating a commitment both in policy and practice to the value of CPD in recruiting and retaining a qualified and motivated workforce.

Their role:

Schools and Centres who work to this framework are not expected to offer unlimited access to training and development, but to make a commitment to provide a range of CPD opportunities to all staff at appropriate points during their career. The framework identifies and describes to staff potential learning opportunities both within their current role and the roles they aspire to. All institutions are encouraged to use the concept of the framework in conjunction with their performance management systems to guide professional development.

Schools and centres demonstrate their commitment by:

developing a policy statement for the CPD of all the school’s workforce including induction procedures
providing a prioritised staff development programme which balances whole- school and phase priorities with those of the individual
identifying and allocating a proportion of the school budget to CPD activities
identifying senior staff with time and appropriate training to support and lead on CPD matters
using the full range of school and local expertise to improve practice, supported by local and national funding opportunities
providing an annual personal review process, linked to performance management which assists all staff in identifying their CPD needs and ways of meeting them
encouraging staff to make use of a Professional Development Portfolio, to provide professional reflection, promote research , record learning and support individual career aspirations. Schools may choose to use their format or make use of the new online tool
providing information and access to a wide range of school- based and external CPD opportunities, linked where appropriate to accreditation systems
ensuring clear systems and procedures which provide records and accounts for governors and the school community related to CPD and its impact on school improvement
where appropriate, facilitating the sharing of improvements made in practice
making sure they have a robust quality assurance process to monitor provision, ensure Best Value and evaluate the outcomes of CPD activities to improve provision.

The role of the individual

The school workforce consists of a wide range of staff either directly involved in the teaching of pupils or in supporting their learning in a variety of ways or in securing the five outcomes of the "Every Child Matters" strategy.

All staff need to accept their responsibility to maintain their own professional development by taking advantage of opportunities, which can be provided through colleagues as well as seeking development beyond the school.

Staff in schools should:

take responsibility for their own continuing professional development, through the opportunities available to them, to make sure that pupils receive the best and most relevant education.
continually reflect on their own practice, improve their skills and deepen their knowledge.
make a commitment to adapt their work with or on behalf of children appropriately to take account of
new findings, ideas and technologies.
support their colleagues in achieving the highest professional standards.
be fully committed to sharing their own expertise and insights in the interests of the people they teach and always be open to learning from the effective practice of their colleagues.
consider the use of a Professional Development portfolio/record to provide evidence of their achievements.