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teacher development cohort

The TDT Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership: International School Cohort 2025

Elevate teaching practice within your international school to attract, retain and develop great teachers with our 10 month accredited qualification in the leadership of professional development.

If you lead the professional development of a group of international educators within Asia and want to ensure the CPD you offer delivers the teacher recruitment, retention, and pupil outcomes you would like to see, this course is for you.

Recognised by the Chartered College of Teaching and co-delivered with Shane Leaning –  a leading international educator living in Shanghai, China –  this programme helps CPD Leaders in international schools build stronger connections, access global evidence and research, and strategically plan and improve the approach to staff development in their schools.

100% of our 2024 cohort agreed that they would recommend the qualification to a colleague. 

Impact starts on day one. Over several live online sessions, the Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership guides you through up-to-date principles behind planning, delivering, and assessing effective professional development within the unique context of an international school. All guidance is informed by the latest research in how and when staff development most benefits teachers and pupils.

Our experts will then support you to apply this knowledge to create a tailored CPD plan for your setting that fits the needs of your staff, pupils, and school development plan.

Along the way, you’ll benefit from coaching conversations and learn with a network of like-minded colleagues.

Who is this qualification for?

Any leader in an international school with a responsibility for planning CPD within a school or trust. 

Our successful graduates include: Assistant Headteachers, Headteachers, Vice Principals, Heads of Teaching and Learning, CPD Leads, Deputy Headteachers, Trust CPD Leads and Directors of Learning.

One of our Professional Learning Leads will facilitate the course in collaboration with our partner, Shane Leaning.

All of the Teacher Development Trust’s current facilitators have personal experience in education leadership, as well as a deep knowledge of CPD best practice and how it can be adapted for different contexts. You can learn more about them below.

Concettina Johnson

Hannah Tyreman 

Louise Worgan

You will explore a wealth of research on CPD design, delivery and leadership. Topics that will be covered in the course include:

  • Exploring effective timing and structure of CPD programmes
  • Leading and implementing effective CPD in your setting
  • Creating a robust framework for evaluation
  • Designing evidence-informed CPD with impact
  • Fostering an effective culture for professional learning
  • Developing your senior and middle leadership teams
  • Creating route maps for career development

Previous participants have gone on to transform how CPD is led across their school, building a shared understanding of the importance of staff development and creating successful plans for improvement. 

You can find out more stories from our graduates here

Outside of the support received in group sessions and online learning, participants will receive 1:1 email and telephone coaching with their Professional Learning Lead, alongside ongoing online supervision.

You will also have access to the suggested bank of research, self-study activities and resources to learn in your own time. In many cohorts, participants also support each other as they form a network of professionals in similar roles.

FAQ

How is this course different from the NPQ in Leading Teacher Development?

Although there is a strong research and theory element, the TDT Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership has a closer focus on supporting each participant to practically apply that knowledge to their setting through evaluation and planning projects. 

The TDT Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership also has a different research base, including a greater focus on culture, strategic leadership and working effectively with and through colleagues, and is completed over 10 months. 

Many NPQLTD and NPQLT graduates have gone on to take the Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership as the next step in their development.

Successful graduates will gain an Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership, with Chartered Status accreditation

All group training sessions and self-study for the course are completed online. There is the option for 1:1 coaching to alternatively occur over the phone. 

The assessed component of this qualification is a project to evaluate and refine the leadership, culture and process of CPD within your setting, so you will need to be working in a setting such as a school, college or trust, with support from SLT to be able to complete this project.

A Research-Based Qualification in Teacher Development

Across 10 months, you will engage in:

  • Live online group training over 3 half-day sessions
  • 1:1 email and telephone coaching with your course leader
  • Around 50 hours of asynchronous online learning activities and self-study
  • A project to evaluate and refine the leadership, culture and process of CPD within your setting
  • The creation of a 7000-word portfolio
  • Ongoing online supervision support


Participants will be supported to create a CPD plan for the next school year and demonstrate how it aligns with leading research, the DfE CPD Standards and best international practice around CPD.

You will also receive Chartered College credits and valuable knowledge of teaching and learning which you can build on for the rest of your career.

New to CPD Leadership? Take a look at our introductory programme, Foundation in CPD Leadership

Find out more about our UK Cohort of Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership

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Already a part of our current Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership Cohort? Log in to TDT Learn for supporting material

21st October, London, EC2Y 5JU

Join us to explore how leaders can tap into the power of great CPD and create cultures of professional growth that inspire joy and agency.

A one-day collaborative conference bringing together anyone interested in making staff development in education count.