The Chartered College of Teaching has published new research on the quality assurance of teachers’ continuing professional development. The ideas put forward would see a single provider of CPD accreditation for teachers.

DYT has long campaigned for better training for teachers, going back to our first research report Fish in the Tree (2013). We believe there is real merit in a rigorous and robust process for commissioning and quality assurance for CPD providers in the education sector. As such we are broadly in support of the report’s recommendations. Such a process would provider greater accountability for CPD spending and the subsequent impact on teacher practice and pupil outcomes.

How should teacher CPD be quality assured?

The Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) recommends that CPD should be quality assured across three areas: intent, design and delivery. It makes sense to guide providers on which elements are crucial for quality CPD, something government standards don’t make explicit.

The report notes some of the key challenges to such a system, and we recognise these in our work. The time involved in collating and submitting or assessing evidence is significant. It can be difficult to apply a consistent approach when CPD can vary enormously by type, style, format and commitment.

Helping teachers to get even better

Given DYT’s work with pupils with SEND, we would like to see high quality CPD available to the entire workforce. Such a system could be hugely beneficial to the profession and would bring teacher CPD more in line with other professions where CPD is mandated and recorded formally. 

As a sector this could be one more step toward agreeing a framework that could really make a difference to helping teachers get even better and supporting those who need their teachers the most; those with literacy difficultiesand SEND.

Chris Rossiter

Chief Executive, DYT

Chris originally trained as an applied psychologist and has worked across the private, public and charitable sector for over 15 years. Has has particular expertise in special educational needs and disability, and organisational psychology. He is a primary Chair of Governors, Trustee of the Astrea Academy Trust, member of the literacy sub-committee of the Hastings Opportunity Area and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.