MEDIA STATEMENT – Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development
SIR JOHN HOLMAN, CHAIR OF TEACHER DEVELOPMENT TRUST

“The Teacher Development Trust welcomes the Department for Education’s new Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development as a benchmark for good practice. However, whilst this Standard provides sound guidelines, it is in itself not enough to ensure we are able to raise the importance and quality of professional development in our schools.

“There are still too many teachers that are not receiving the professional development they need and are entitled to. These standards are a step in the right direction but good ideas are not enough. Collectively we need to raise the game and implementation is everything.

“The real challenge is how we introduce and embed these standards in schools across the UK. We face a real risk that these standards will be treated as a superficial tick box exercise rather than empowering schools to truly understand and implement the substance within them.

“Organisations like the Teacher Development Trust, who provide support, advice and information to schools looking to provide the high quality professional development our teachers need, must support the implementation of these standards in schools in any way possible. Together, we can raise the standard of teaching for the benefit of young people.”

Holman quote

-Ends-

For more information or to speak to a member of the Teacher Development Trust team, contact Lisa Church on lchurch@consiliumcommunications.co.uk / 07467 945661

About the Teacher Development Trust
The Teacher Development Trust is the independent national charity for teacher training and professional development. Launched by teachers in 2012, the Trust works with government, schools and colleges, subject associations, teaching unions, universities, as well as many profit and non-profit organisations from across the education spectrum, both in the UK and abroad.

The Teacher Development Trust is dedicated to improving the educational outcomes for children by raising the quality of teacher professional development, raising awareness of the importance of professional development and building tools to help teachers to transform their practice and achieve success for all their pupils.

The Trust believes that demand for professional learning should be driven by the aspiration teachers have for the children they teach and the passion they bring to their work. The Trust is determined to bring about radical improvement in the quality of the ongoing training that teachers receive based on the evidence of what creates effective learning.

The Teacher Development Trust works with organisations around the world to promote the best possible practice in using and delivering professional development in education. Services include:

  • TDT Advisor: a national database of courses, consultancy services, books, videos and podcasts with teacher reviews and official quality ratings. This includes a partnership with the Sutton Trust-EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit advisor.tdtrust.org.
  • The TDT Network, the national network for best-practice in teacher development. Featuring an in-depth audit of your CPD approaches, best-practice guides and ideas from around the country, networking events, access to research and expertise, this network has the power to transform your organisation and improve teaching, wellbeing and staff retention. http://TDTrust.org/network
  • Free advice for teachers, schools and training providers.
  • Support and consultancy for training providers (including schools) to help them deliver professional development courses and consultancy that have sustainable impact and value in the classroom.
  • Research services to help you pinpoint the evidence behind your professional development policies and programmes.

Registered charity number 1147447
For further information, visit www.teacherdevelopmenttrust.org or follow the Teacher Development Trust on Twitter @TeacherDevTrust