CPD Team

This recently published report into the English system is of interest as Graham Donladson begins his review into the training of teachers in Scotland.

It is a hefty piece of work;  it reaches a number of interesting conclusions, and makes some pretty radical  recommendations. For example, in terms of CPD, it finds that there is not a strong enough culture of professional development among teachers, and that “the licence to practice” requires a generous and guaranteed entitlement to professional development. The report calls for ring-fencing of minimum levels of spending on CPD by schools, ‘at earliest opportunity’ and describes the need to attend to the ‘neglected needs of supply teachers’.

Read the full report here

The GTCS magazine has a great article about learning rounds in its latest edition. It includes a range of quotes from headteachers, local authority people and many others. For example, Gary Johnstone of North Ayrshire Council says that “Learning Rounds, importantly, exemplifies the power of learning together; within, across and beyond schools and with staff at all levels working alongside each other.” and Tom Hamilton of the GTCS adds “the SFR requires that registered teachers take responsibility for their professional learning and development through working collegially with fellow teachers on continuing professional development and it is really positive to have this aspect of professionalism so well exemplified through the Learning Rounds model.”

You can read the full article here http://tinyurl.com/yjzv8mu

Attached is a draft of the revised Standard and the GTCS would welcome your comments. The draft is focused on exactly what it is that makes the Chartered Teacher Standard distinctive while developing a natural progression and coherence from the Standard for Full Registration. The draft emphasises the fundamental place of the values which underpin the Standard and the leadership qualities and skills expected from and demonstrated by the Chartered Teacher.

Attached are some questions for you to consider and comments should be passed by the 23 February to:  cheryl.loughbrough@gtcs.org.uk

1          Are you in favour of the suggested changes for the Standard for Chartered Teacher? (Please feel free to comment positively or negatively about particular changes)

2          Are there other suggestions you would make for consideration as possible changes?

3          Do you have any general comments you wish to make about the Standard for Chartered Teacher?

David Johnstone (Quality Improvement Manager in Dundee City Council) was kind enough to give me a good chunk of his valuable time yesterday. Our main focus was on online CPD technology, and we covered a lot of ground in how Dundee City Council’s OnlineCPD system and tools such as CPDFind will help in the PRD process. It was great to see how firmly David is rooting the work in the Professional Standards and incorporating coaching techniques into PRD (or SD and R as it’s known in Dundee City). It’s also good to hear that Dundee colleagues are using Glow to host professional communities.

David also kindly shared a sneak preview of a draft ‘framework’ for Principal Teachers. I am sure many colleagues will be interested when it’s past the draft stage, David!

I look forward to continuing the conversation at the Stirling workshop on 5th and 6th of February with David and others (I will blog about this as soon as we have the final agenda in place).

Oh and the photo is the slap-up lunch that David bought me that I didn’t get time to eat, so engrossed were we!  Thanks David!

Members of the CPD Team will be attending the Annual National Lecture which takes place on the 1st October at the National Gallery for Scotland in Edinburgh.

This year’s annual lecture will be delivered by Elish Angiolini the Lord Advocate for Scotland. Appointed the first female Solicitor General for Scotland in 2001, she was also the first Procurator Fiscal and the first solicitor to hold the post. In 2006, she was appointed Lord Advocate, the head of Scotland’s prosecution service, the first woman in the 500-year history of that post.

For more information about this event, please email alison.mcwilliams@gtcs.org.uk