Ludlow Junior School. Professional Development

Transcription

1 Ludlow Junior School Professional Development Policy and Guidelines 2014 Professional Development Policy Ludlow Junior School s Professional Development (PD) policy focuses upon four central elements

2 Principles, Values, and Entitlements Identifying Professional Development Needs Evaluating impact and disseminating good practice PD is not led by a single lead professional. The head of learning and teaching may often be best placed to identify and plan PD opportunities for colleagues. However, other members of the staff team may identify opportunities and these include the executive head, professional coach and other senior staff. Principles, Values and Entitlements 1. Ludlow Junior School is a learning community where all are involved in a continuous process of improvement and enrichment. LJS is committed to fostering a positive climate for continuous learning. Professional Development is the means by which the school is able to motivate and develop its community. It does so at a variety of levels individual, team, whole school and through wider networks with an emphasis on collaborative, personalised and skills based learning. 2. The school believes in the DfE s philosophy that effective teachers should take ownership and give high priority to professional development. It believes that a coherent and progressive opportunity to develop professionally and personally both improves standards and raises morale through personal and professional fulfilment and assists recruitment and retention. Professional Development is co-ordinated by the school s Senior Leadership Team. 3. All those involved in the school community shall have an entitlement to equality of access to high-quality induction and continuing support and development. 4. The central features of the PD policy comprises effective auditing and identification of need and aspiration, appropriate match of provision to learning needs of the individual, evaluation of the impact of provision, dissemination of good and successful practise to ensure that such practice is embedded and reinforced throughout the school. 5. The school has will quality assure all PD providers to ensure that the very highest levels of provision are secured. 6. Ludlow Junior School uses a range of types of provision and providers adopting Best Value principles in determining these. Where possible, Professional Development will be carried out in-house, using and sharing the expertise within the school 7. The schools PD provision will allow staff to develop skills and competencies and allow them to build on and reinforce skills and expertise. Where possible, the school will support professional recognition including accreditation of the PD undertaken. Identifying PD Needs

3 1. The senior team will receive training, guidance and support in relation to the ongoing identification of PD needs. 2. The senior team shall be responsible for identifying the school s PD needs and those of the entire school community. Such needs will be identified largely through existing mechanisms such as Performance Management, self-evaluation, national and local priorities, other internal and external monitoring and through informal and formal discussions with individuals and teams. The outcomes will go towards the development of a PD plan for the whole school to become part of the School Improvement Plan. 3. The senior team will identify the main PD priorities and the likely budgetary implications of addressing these needs. They will then plan effectively with the SBM to plan implementation. 4. PD issues will be addressed at the governing Body meetings and be included as a part of the Headteacher s report. 5. Requests for accessing PD should be addressed to the senior team who will decide on the most effective means and, where necessary, suggest how best the PD needs are met 6. The senior team provides and updates details of the range of opportunities available and will be responsible for communicating relevant opportunities to the appropriate staff. 7. The senior team is responsible for ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided for the following groups of the school community: Newly Qualified Teachers Other staff new to the school or role Teachers in their early years(epd) Teachers with 5 years+ experience (including those beyond the threshold and those in the later stages of their career) Teachers specialising in teaching particular groups of pupils Advanced Skills Teachers, Fast Track and Lead Teachers (where appropriate) Middle managers/ Subject Leaders Senior managers in their early years More experienced senior managers Governors Senior support staff which might include Business Managers, ICT Systems Managers, site managers Teaching Assistants Secretarial and administrative staff including librarians, catering staff 8. The senior team is responsible for ensuring that providers are of sufficient quality

4 9. The school has systems and opportunities for teams and the whole school to discuss and feed to the senior team details of priorities and methods. 10. The senior team is responsible for ensuring the efficient organising of opportunities e.g. booking, confirmation and for providing appropriate support such as organising relevant resources Professional Development Provision 1. The opportunities available will fully reflect the Code of Practice produced by the DfE in that they will only be offered if they: Meet identified individual, school or national development priorities Be based on good practice- in learning and teaching Help raise standards of pupil s achievements Respect cultural diversity Be provided by those with the necessary experience, expertise and skills Be planned systematically and follow the agreed programme except when dealing with the emerging issues Be based where appropriate, on relevant standards Be based on current research and inspection evidence Make effective use of resources Be provided with accommodation which is fit for purpose with appropriate equipment Provide value for money 2. Ludlow Junior School supports a wide portfolio of PD approaches. These include: In-school training using the expertise available within the school and collaborative activity (e.g. coaching, collaborative teaching, planning and assessment work within a PD team, classroom observation, existing expertise, peer evaluation, collaborative enquiry and problem solving, modelling) Coaching and mentoring and engaging in a learning conservations Job enrichment/enlargement (e.g. higher level of responsibility, shadowing, leading meetings) Producing documentation or resources such as curriculum development, teaching materials, assessment packages or ICT Assessing an external consultant/adviser or relevant expert such as an Advanced Skills Teacher or Leader Teacher Master classes, model and demonstration lessons Collecting and collating student feedback, data and outcomes Attendance at lectures, courses or relevant conference

5 School visits to observe or participate in good and successful practice (particularly within our collaboration/networks) Secondments, exchanges and placements(e.g. within a regional or national organisation, an exchange or placement with another teacher, school, higher education, industry, international exchange, involvement with Governing Body) Postgraduate professional development and other qualifications/forms of professional recognition and qualifications such as NVQs, Higher Level Teaching Assistants, NCSL programmes Research opportunities Distance learning (e.g. relevant resources such as educational journals and publications, training videos, reflection, simulations) Practical experience ( e.g. national test or exam marking experience, opportunities to present a paper, contribute to a training programme, co-ordinating or supporting a learning forum or network, involvement in local and national networks, involvement with a subject or specialist association) External partnerships (e.g. with a colleague, group, subject, phase, activity or school-based team meetings and activities such as joint planning. Observation or standardisation 3. All those engaged with PD will be encouraged to : Reflect on their development using appropriate mechanisms and share their conclusions as appropriate Seek professional recognition, including accreditation for the work undertaken wherever possible Evaluating Impact and Disseminating Good Practice 1. Following professional or other development, the participant will discuss with the senior team the opportunities to disseminate to other staff or staff groups. 2. The senior team responsible for ensuring whether any follow up is needed to the provider, e.g. feedback, issues of access. 3. The senior team will review PD provision annually 4. The senior team/business manager are responsible for assessing the value money aspect of PD through seeking to monitor and evaluate impact. 5. This will be undertaken at a variety of levels including: Immediate/short term evaluation by participants Longer term follow up for a sample of PD undertaken usually at a period no less than 6 months following the provision Informal discussion with colleagues about improved practice

6 6. The primary impact of LJS on-going PD should be in the following areas: Attainment and progress AfL Quality of teaching quality first teaching Leadership and management More effective and embedded learning and teaching such as creativity, pace, variation, differentiation, challenge and a greater variety of learning and teaching approaches A whole school climate of supporting success and effort Increased staff confidence, enrichment, motivation, self-esteem, preparedness to take risks, collaboration, reflection Pupil enthusiasm, engagement and commitment to their learning Recruitment and retention Career progression and promotion opportunity Summer 2014