Approaches & methods

Principle

The school workforce will develop more effectively when the range of approaches matches the needs and learning styles of individuals.

School example

A Lincolnshire Secondary School found that raising awareness of the possible range of CPD led to staff being more structured and proactive in their planning for CPD. The inclusion of non-teaching staff was particularly beneficial in raising the level at which they engage with colleagues and challenge students about their work and fostered a keenness to undertake specialist subject training.

How Successful Are We?

Self evaluation guidance can be found here. It provides brief grade descriptions defining the key characteristics of school workforce development under the headings: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate.

Questions For School Leaders

  1. How wide is the range of approaches used by the school in developing the workforce?
  2. How well informed is the whole school workforce of the range and variety of approaches available that can be used to address individual and school needs and aspirations?
  3. How are these approaches personalised to suit the needs of participants and what methods exist to monitor this?
  4. Are you reassured that the systems are flexible enough to respond to changing needs and circumstances?
  5. Have you audited the expertise and interests of the school workforce?
  6. How do you know whether you are making the best use of the existing workforce in developing others within the school?
  7. What is the level of take up for accredited courses and how much resource is devoted to supporting this?

helpful resources

5. Approaches & methods - Self Evaluation Guidance

Teachers TV

Teachers TV - Mentoring and coaching

Mentoring and coaching
A focus on the success the staff at King Edward VI School have gained from coaching and mentoring as productive forms of in-house CPD.

Watch the video.