How many teachers will be entitled to develop this year?

When we asked middle leaders in schools what was holding back their development, the most common answers were time and money. This may seem unsurprising, but it’s also unnecessary and wasteful when there’s this talented group of individuals in schools who are ready for more responsibility if they can get the right support and professional development. In 2015 a new national entitlement to development could start to give emerging leaders in schools the support that professionals in other industries enjoy, helping them to reach their potential. Surely that’s a resolution worth sticking to?

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Even though we invest thousands in ‘golden hellos’ for graduates to get them into teaching, we do little to get them to stay in the profession or to transition into leadership roles. Too often time spent on continuing professional development (CPD), including at INSET days, is focused on short-term information-giving and regulatory compliance, rather than sustained personal development that leads to better leaders, teachers and student outcomes.Too often time spent on continuing professional development (CPD), including at INSET days, is focused on short-term information-giving and regulatory compliance, rather than sustained personal development that leads to better leaders, teachers and student outcomes.

The government-backed accredited qualifications are one important part of this puzzle. And although we’re waiting to see the latest projections from the National College about the number of school leaders completing the three accredited qualifications (NPQML, NPQSL and NPQH), our own research shows some potentially worrying trends, especially around the former.

Despite seeing the value in such qualifications, the incentives to enrol don’t always seem to be there in many schools. Too many promising and talented teachers aren’t being supported fully when they take on greater responsibilities beyond their own classrooms. This puts their careers, their colleagues and their students at risk.

Why is this the case when doctors can take up to 10 paid days of study or professional leave a year, with all expenses paid and regardless of their employers’ financial position?

The reasons why this group of emerging school leaders aren’t always properly nurtured are complex, involving a mix of in-school and system-wide factors. For example, circumstances don’t always encourage some senior leaders to let go of their staff, or they struggle to find new opportunities for people to step up internally. Middle leaders aren’t always properly recognised, given the right responsibilities or rewarded accordingly. It’s also hard for anybody to spend time and money on meaningful personal development in a context where schools are still adapting to such an intense period of reform and change. The whole area of professional development is an ongoing focus for NAHT Edge. We’re pursuing the issue on all fronts to help improve the situation.

Although they’ll play their part, schools and unions can’t do everything. Whoever governs after May’s general election could help by ensuring sufficient time and money are ring-fenced for emerging school leaders who’ve started to prove their potential. A national entitlement to development could initially feature, say, a modest five days and £5,000 of government-backed funding a year for each TLR one or two post holder who has served a year successfully and met their performance objectives. Making this statutory would ensure a minimum level of support for all emerging school leaders, regardless of in-school circumstances.

Perhaps the funding could include existing CPD-related bursaries and scholarships for Teaching Schools or accredited NCTL qualifications. This would save a lot of new money being required and ensure all middle leaders are supported. Qualified individuals in all schools could then spend the development time and money they’re entitled to as they saw best, including but not exclusively on accredited qualifications. That could make for a much happier new year.

Louis Coiffait is CEO of NAHT Edge, with more than a decade of experience working in the sector. Follow @LouisMMCoiffait on Twitter for education news, comment and analysis. All text is solely the opinion of the author.