Have your say on the future of teachers’ professional development

The Department for Education has invited an expert group to develop a new standard that will help teachers to become better informed about the types of training that achieve the best outcomes for their pupils. The Teachers’ Professional Development Expert Group, chaired by David Weston, CEO of the Teacher Development Trust, has launched a call for evidence, inviting teachers and other interested parties to submit their views.

“We want to formulate a new standard for professional development which is valued by our professional colleagues,” said Weston. “Our priority is to listen carefully to teachers, school leaders and CPD providers to understand everyone’s aspirations, concerns and suggestions so that the new standard represents the best of our profession, inspired by the best ideas and firmly rooted in the practical realities of busy school life.

“We urge every teacher, school leader, provider and organisation to contribute to this process by submitting a response to our call for evidence. We will be carefully considering all of the responses before drafting the new standard. Our plan is to then begin trialling and refining and further consulting on the new standard from early 2016, to make sure that it is achieving its aims.”

The new, non-statutory, standard will aim to set out a clear description of effective practice in professional development for teachers, and will:

• help teachers and providers of teacher training to understand aspects of good-quality professional development
• look to clarify some misconceptions around what good professional development should look like
• complement the existing teachers’ standards

The review is expected to report back to the Secretary of State for Education in spring 2016. Responses will be accepted until 16 October 2015 and can be completed online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/teachers-professional-development-standard-call-for-evidence.