Following today’s publication of the new IPPR report, our Co-CEO (Innovation & Research), David Weston, responds and reflects on some of the key recommendations.
In the landscape of education, an important transformation is on the horizon. The recent report “Improvement through Empowerment” (Menzies & Quilter-Pinner, 2023) published by IPPR echoes a sentiment long championed by the Teacher Development Trust (TDT) – for students to excel, we need empowered teachers, extraordinary leaders, and expert schools.
It is now time to set our sights higher, by committing to a long-term goal in line with high-performing nations like Singapore, where teachers receive 100 hours a year of high-quality professional development.
Menzies & Quilter-Pinner (2023)
At TDT, we’ve always believed that the right conditions for teachers correlate strongly with improved student outcomes. Our “Culture of Improvement” paper (Weston et al, 2021) highlighted this, showing how fostering an environment conducive to teacher development is crucial for educational success. The new report takes this a step further, advocating for a system that pivots from top-down accountability to one that nurtures innovation and growth among educators.
Empowering schools is a key aspect of the report, highlighting the need for supportive, evidence-rich infrastructure. This idea complements TDT’s approach of empowering school leaders to foster a culture that prioritizes development and improvement.
One of the report’s most striking proposals is setting a high standard for professional development, suggesting 100 hours per year of high-quality training for teachers, a goal that resonates with TDT’s vision of continual growth and learning.
“Progress towards an ambitious long-term goal of teachers accessing a hundred hours of professional development a year should be achieved by investing in the infrastructure of evidence-led professional development and encouraging uptake.”
Menzies & Quilter-Pinner (2023)
In line with these ideas, TDT is happy to be building on this policy area already, with our recently-formed expert group focused on creating an effective CPD entitlement for teachers. This group builds on the principles laid out in the “Improvement through Empowerment” report and aims to translate these into actionable strategies for government and the system.
Your voice matters in this transformative journey. We invite you to participate in our consultation on CPD entitlement for teachers. Share your insights and help shape the future of teacher development.
The IPPR report is a very welcome contribution to the policy space and we’re happy to be building on some of its key recommendations in the policy space around teacher development.
Join David, along with keynote and guest speakers from across the education sector, and members of our TDT Network, at our National Conference on 30th January 2024. The conference is dedicated to school and trust leaders of teaching, learning and staff development, and will explore that to unleash expertise in teaching to help all children thrive, especially the most disadvantaged, we must create schools where teachers thrive, professionally and personally.
Buy your ticket here
