Continuing Professional Development Policy

Transcription

1 Continuing Professional Development Policy Policy Agreement Date: September 2011 Policy Review Date: September 2013

2 ORMISTON HORIZON ACADEMY CPD Policy Continuing Professional Development It is crucial if our academy is to raise achievement, improve teaching and learning and innovate, that there be in place a comprehensive and proactive CPD programme, which is specifically geared to helping the academy deliver the Academy Improvement Plan. This should utilise all the best practice within the Academy whilst making use of the very best external sources of CPD Introduction and rationale We regard our staff as the key to raising standards, so enabling them to develop professionally is of paramount importance. We believe effective professional development requires Commitment at all levels Careful identification of priorities at all levels Well-considered use of a variety of activities including coaching and mentoring which model effective teaching and learning strategies An emphasis on school-based professional development A context of staff engagement in discussing and reflecting on what they are learning with time available for this Evaluation of its impact, planned from outset

3 Definition We define continuing professional development as any reflective activity designed to improve an individual s professional attributes, knowledge and understanding and professional skills. Examples within school include: induction coaching and mentoring peer support lesson observation and feedback work sampling listening to student views collaborative planning, teaching and reviewing (departmental, cross-curricular, pastoral) involvement in departmental, cross-curricular, pastoral initiatives sharing good practice shadowing action research team development events whole school development events Examples within school networks include: cross-school collaborative planning, teaching and reviewing cross-school lesson observation and feedback cross-school departmental, cross-curricular, pastoral initiatives cross-school sharing good practice cross school shadowing cross-school action research visits to other schools cross-school development events Examples involving external expertise external courses external advice, support, training offered by external providers Aims of professional development To raise standards of attainment To improve student learning experiences and outcomes

4 To develop the performance of individual staff, teams and the institution as a whole To improve staff learning experiences and outcomes To enhance staff morale, sense of purpose and sense of ownership over their professional development To create a reflective learning environment in which everyone, staff and students alike are committed to their own and others development Planning and implementation guidelines A CPD plan for the school year will be drawn up, shared with all individuals, monitored, reviewed and evaluated at defined intervals The CPD plan will be based on o Analysis of assessment data o Observations of teaching and learning o Work sampling o Learning walks o Student shadowing o Feedback from parents/carers o Feedback from students o Performance management and self-evaluation at all levels individual, team, whole-school As a consequence the CPD plan will be closely linked to the academy improvement plan, raising achievement plans, departmental and other team plans The CPD plan will identify what CPD activities will be offered to individuals, groups and the whole staff during the school year The CPD plan will aim to balance the needs of individuals, groups and the whole staff Academies are principally about raising achievement and the key to this is the enhancing of teaching and learning styles to better meet the needs of all students. It is hoped that staff will be prepared to lead activities where they have an interest or expertise. CPD will include soime or all of the following : staff training and professional development in the use of ICT and e- learning.

5 staff professional development in behaviour management and the needs of students with SEN. staff professional development in the enhancing of teaching and learning in its broadest sense. outside experts Wherever possible, we will aim to provide CPD in these areas in academy and save the expense of sending individuals on courses which are highly expensive in terms of fees, cover and travel. The aim is to allow staff to work together to develop their skills - examples could include :- - staff meeting together to discuss how they teach and exploring new ideas (within departments and between departments) - staff observing each other teach and then meeting to discuss what they have seen - staff looking at and discussing videos of lessons - staff looking at students' work, and its marking, and discussing and analysing how the work could be better and how the assessment could be more effective - staff discussing forms of assessment and record keeping looking at how staff can assess just as effectively but spend less time on it. It is the aim that these activities will allow frankness and honesty in that it is just colleagues working together and there are no comebacks in terms of pay, promotion or reputation. ACADEMY CPD POLICY A) Principles Our CPD programme exists primarily to underpin the Improvement Plan (AIP) and to help achieve academy improvement and raise achievement. The AIP itself very much

6 springs from our continuous self evaluation. This process will identify areas that need development and CPD has then to be available to help this to happen effectively. The main purpose of CPD is to increase professional expertise so that students learning experiences and achievements improve through a primary focus on teaching and learning. Professional expertise includes: acquiring new subject knowledge honing or learning new pedagogies skills, strategies and techniques learning new technologies learning how to operate in a new role research, exploring new ideas, lateral thinking, innovation the preparation of students for public examinations The overall aim is to build the capacity of the staff to learn in concert at individual, team and whole academy level, thus creating an effective learning community with a shared purpose and a whole academy focus on improvement. The most effective CPD is that which meets the needs of the individual, team (e.g. department and Year) and the Academy, for this will have the most significant effect on academy improvement. It is thus this type of CPD which will be given the highest priority. Ultimately the effectiveness of CPD is measured by its impact on student achievement and thus its contribution to academy improvement. Evaluation of CPD is thus essential and involves the setting of success criteria. Individual Staff and CPD (teaching and support staff) The Academy keeps a general CPD record, but each member of staff is asked to keep a record of their own CPD, and time is given at PD sessions so that this can be kept upto-date. The most effective CPD meets the needs of the individual, team and academy, but it is also recognised that staff have different needs at different stages of their careers. Staff have an entitlement to appropriate CPD but at the same time should also take personal responsibility for their own professional development. The Academy has a CPD co-ordinator, and responsibilities include: Evaluating CPD needs from the Performance Management process being available to staff looking for CPD, assessing its priority and then making it available in the best form This includes arranging CPD that springs from: the performance management process for teachers the appraisal system for support staff any support processes for individual staff

7 the programme for NQTs the needs of staff new to the Academy Apart from academy organised CPD, staff are urged to gain professional development from their own reading, use of the internet, attendance at examination meetings, reflection etc. Teams and CPD Teams within the Academy (e.g. departments, science technicians, clerical staff etc.) may also approach the CPD co-ordinator with requests for collective inset and, once again, the priority given will depend on how the requests also meet individual and whole academy needs. Staff may also be grouped into peer coaching/networking teams according to SDP needs and staff appraisal and interest. Whole Academy planning of CPD This will be led by the SLT and CPD co-ordinator, taking a whole academy view of the needs of the Academy. This is based on self-evaluation and the subsequent Staff Development Plan as set and adjusted. The content of PD Days and sessions will largely spring from this. The overall programme for the year will then be set in each July for the ensuing year, following the AIP review, drawing up of department development plans and the setting of objectives as part of the performance management process, but will have built in the resources and capacity for changes and additions as needs arise and circumstances change. B) Methodology of CPD The SLT will ensure an environment where staff want to learn and develop. External Courses These have their value, especially those which are relevant and cost effective. Other courses for individuals which involve heavy expenses in terms of course fees, supply costs and travel have to be of exceptionally high quality and much needed if they are to be justified. Staff on external courses are urged to cascade back into Academy or team the ideas that they have acquired. PD Days and Sessions These are carefully organised to meet the major aims of the SDP. There is a need for some external injection of expertise if it is of quality and accessible, but also much time

8 for work in teams where staff work with their peers (see below). Peer mentoring/coaching is considered to be an important part of the CPD process. Team Meetings e.g. Department, Year, Heads of Department, Heads of Year, Curriculum Strategy Group etc. The setting of these agendas and intended outcomes should be based on the needs of the SDP and carefully planned, with a clear teaching and learning focus. It has to be made clear that participation in these meetings is an important form of CPD and that administrative matters can be dealt with elsewhere by written memos etc. CPD from everyday academy activities Once again, staff need to see that they are learning and developing themselves by participation in activities such as: peer mentoring/coaching student mentoring ITT mentoring writing schemes of work and planning lessons (especially when done with colleagues) exam moderation chairing meetings making presentations to meetings and reporting back mentoring NQTs observing colleagues preparing documents exercising responsibilities that they have in the Academy visiting other academies and institutions time management reflecting on personal performance In- house master classes These provide the main source of internal CPD and reflect the importance that the Academy puts on this form of professional development. Essentially this involves a belief in the value of the importance of:- staff observing each other in the classroom with follow-up discussions free of professional threat of intimidation, within departments and across departments the use of video in recording lessons and their detailed examination staff working together on real academy improvement problems, drawing on best practice staff taking part in coaching or mentoring programmes after training high quality focused training on specific skill areas learning of new technologies

9 involvement of colleagues from other academies and institutions, with the use of video conferencing when useful use of the excellent pedagogy and practice materials that are now available peer support for staff as needed access to in-year and external accreditations the opportunity to discuss and reflect with colleagues encouraging staff to carry out their own individual research making best use of the most able teachers in the Academy Making time available for CPD The Academy has to make the time and resources available for CPD in the following ways: staff given cover time off lessons twilight sessions full exploitation of CPD opportunities available from all academy activities, including all meetings (as above) most effective use of PD days and sessions encouragement to staff to undertake CPD at home e.g. by use of ICT fitting CPD time into the academy timetable where possible, the timetabling of common non-contact time for staff best possible use of gained time, e.g. when Year 11 leave and free time use of the Academy s website to post materials, ideas, lesson plans etc. Making full use of TAs C) Evaluation of CPD Criteria - value for money, i.e. effectiveness - impact on the skills and practice of staff - impact on student learning and achievement (short, medium and long term) Evaluation of CPD is not easy nor an exact science, but is still essential if the programme is to be continuously improved to meet better its aims. The best approach is to ask three key questions. If these developments are successful:- What will teachers do? How will they do it? What will students therefore do in the classroom as a consequence? This type of detailed evaluation is probably the most useful in the short to medium term. In the longer term, there has to be self-evaluation aided by external inspection to see to what extent the practice of staff has changed and the skills developed, so that student learning and achievement has been enhanced and how much this was specifically due

10 to CPD full impact will certainly take time and will need the collection of data to give it rigour. For each CPD activity, the intended outcomes need to be clear and noted. The views of the participant shall be sought at the end, but in a structured format that relates to the aims and objectives. This evidence is then accumulated to be used in later assessments of how much has really changed. A full report on the effectiveness of CPD also needs to be given regularly to the Governing Body.

11 Appendix 1 Name: PEER COACHING & NETWORKING Please choose an area you would like to develop / work on from the list below (or make another suggestion, but try to tie in with whole academy issues). The idea is that you should in this instance be working with people from other departments. You will be assigned to a team and given time to work together to develop the issue. You will be asked, at some stage, to feed back your progress and what you learnt / found worked. Motivating disenchanted boys Encouraging independent learning Transition Encouraging pupil confidence and self-esteem (AFL) E-learning Afl Gifted and Talented Learning skills Thinking skills how to use them in a lesson Learning styles Starters / Plenaries Student tracking,monitoring and underachievement intervention Any other suggestions:

12 Appendix 2 Identification of Professional Development Needs. Development needs will be identified in the following ways: The strategies priorities identified in the Academy Development Plans, particularly those linked to: 1. the development of the Specialism 2. the development of out of hours learning opportunities 3. the development of Academy based business units 4. the development of relationships with other academies 5. the introduction of new business practices to improve all aspects of management, especially of resources and premises. From the range of quality assurance/self evaluation procedures which will underpin the work of the Academy. From the performance Management targets of each individual. From issues identified by external monitoring e.g. OFSTED, quality mark standards etc. From national strategies and priorities eg. national curriculum revisions. From the rapidly developing approaches to information technologies which demand constant professional updating. From the demands of national initiatives such as vocational diplomas and revisions to the National Curriculum. From the individual needs of all staff, including those identified during the selection and appointment process. From personal aspirations of all staff, which can have a positive impact on the work of the Academy. From the use of structured questionnaires to all staff. From parental and community surveys designed to identify the partnerships essential to support student achievement.