Continuing Professional Development
If London is to be seen as an international leader in
learning, those who teach in London must be seen as among the best
in their profession. Our aim is to provide continuing support to
all staff that work in schools and ensure that within the Royal
Borough we provide the highest possible standards of Continuing
Professional Development.
CPD has a key role to play in raising standards by improving the
teaching and learning that takes place in our schools; it supports
the development of the curriculum and provides for appropriate
personal development and career progression for all our staff. In
the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea we aim to be in a
position where the professional development that we offer to all
staff in schools is creative, innovative and flexible.
Raising standards is of course our core aim, but raising
standards through a broad and rich curriculum, through innovative
and inspirational teaching, flexible approaches to learning and
creative and distributed leadership at all levels. The Royal
Borough aspires to be a leader and driving force for development
and innovation in CPD.
Our professional development centre provides a huge range of
courses – from ‘solution focused approaches to conflict management’
to ‘pod-casting’. It is also a base for a number of professionals
who provide support for school based professional development. Our
schools work within this culture of valuing professional
development and support for you will be first class.
The Centre houses key education support services, including the
School Improvement Service, Education Welfare, Schools Educational
Psychology Service. The City Learning Centre provides outstanding
local ICT facilities, training courses and pupil programmes. There
is also a refreshment area where you can get together and exchange
ideas with colleagues.
Experienced teachers wishing to become leaders and managers in
our schools will have every opportunity to participate in national
programmes organised through the National College for School
Leadership and underpinned by opportunities within Kensington and
Chelsea.
Find out more about the CPD service by
visiting our webpages
What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?
“Continuing professional development (CPD) consists of
reflective activity designed to improve an individual’s attributes,
knowledge, understanding and skills. It supports individual needs
and improves professional practice.” (TDA)
In short, CPD involves thinking about what you are doing,
learning about how to improve and putting your learning into
practice. CPD is NOT just about going on a course.
CPD can be:
- observing colleagues at work/teaching
- engaging in peer review
- working with a mentor/coach
- reading academic, professional books, journals
- action research/enquiry based development
- attending a course/conference
- joining a network or forum
- and so on………
The most effective CPD is planned carefully with a clear idea of
the reasons behind the development activities and 
the difference you wish the
learning and development to make (that is, you plan for impact at
the outset).
The best CPD truly engages and empowers the individual and
arises out of their role and context. Many schools have developed
“coaches” who build the capacity for individuals to become better
“reflective practitioners”.
(TDA)
Characteristics of effective professional development
A 2003 study by Evidence for Policy and Practice Information
(EPPI at the Institute of Education) listed the following key
characteristics of effective professional development:
- direct relationship with the classroom/school
- uses external expertise lined to school based activity
- involves observation and feedback
- includes peer support
- participants identify focus of development
- enables staff to be reflective
- opportunity to work with colleagues and share practice
- opportunities to receive regular, structured feedback
- process over a period of time to embed learning into classroom
practice
- opportunities for independent self study