Key Information

Needs Analysis and Evaluation: Planning Evaluation-Informed Professional Development

Learn how to design CPD with evaluation at its core to improve teaching and learning

Professional development that is both informed by evaluation and planned with evaluation in mind is more likely to result in the intended impact for pupils and teachers.  Yet it’s one of the most challenging aspects of leading professional development.

Embedding evaluation in planning can help you to prioritise your goals for CPD, give you a clearer picture of what’s working, and inform how you continue to improve teaching and learning over time.

This module guides you to recognise the value of planning backwards from evaluation and teaches you about various evaluation and theory of change models to help you find the right fit for your setting. Throughout the module, you will also reflect on how what you’ve learned applies to your school and identify actionable next steps to continue your learning.

Any school leader with a responsibility for planning CPD, whether this be in small teams, or across a setting, can benefit from this module, whether you are looking to adapt and improve an existing programme of CPD or build an entirely new one.

Do any of the following feel familiar? If so, this module is for you.

  • We’re not sure how to evaluate CPD other than post-session surveys
  • We have limited time to plan or follow up on evaluation activities for CPD
  • We get great feedback on CPD sessions, but classroom practice doesn’t significantly change
  • Our priorities for CPD are usually led by what our stakeholders think is urgent, rather than the data
What can I expect from this module?

This Online Learning Module Features:

  • Principles to inform CPD planning
  • Interactive learning activities
  • A downloadable theory of change planner
  • Insights from real school leaders on using evaluation in planning
  • Case studies demonstrating good practice and how to overcome common challenges
  • A suggested step-by-step guide to planning CPD in response to a pupil-focused challenge
  • The ability to save your progress to learn at your own pace

When CPD leaders consider evaluation in their planning, it’s often placed at the end of a professional development cycle, rather than at its beginning where it will be most successful.

We’ve learned that CPD plans are more successful when they start with the intended “destination” of the programme – what they hope the outcomes will be, why they are important, and how they will be measured. This then forms a strong base to make decisions about the professional development which will best help the staff team to reach this point.

The whole module is designed to take around 90 minutes to complete, although this will depend on how long you choose to take on the interactive and downloadable elements. 

This timing is designed to fit into your PPA slots. However, there is the functionality to save your progress at any time and return later, if you would rather complete the module at a different pace which suits you.

Towards the end of the module, you will be encouraged to reflect and plan your next actions to develop your practice in this area.

When you finish “Planning Evaluation-Informed CPD”, you will be able to download your certificate of completion. You can also find this saved in your CPD Leadership Hub Profile. You will additionally be directed to more useful resources to continue to grow your understanding.

All Online Learning modules are intended for individual rather than cross-school or trust use. Any certificates of completion will be in the name of the Hub account holder.

Will this module help my CPD Leadership Practice?

“The module appears to have been designed carefully with cognitive load in mind. In each topic area, the content is broken down quite well. I particularly like the ‘glimmer’ approach. The combination of explanation, relevant citations and bullet points are useful in directing learner attention to key concepts.”

Kalayda Kadir, Deputy Headteacher

The Teacher Development Trust’s insights on what makes great CPD are informed through our close work with education research, as well as our experience of working with over 500 schools on building stronger professional development programmes through the 7 Domains of People-Powered School Improvement

Each module is also shaped by the influential practice of school leaders working in education today, as seen in our case studies.