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School Improvement through People Development

Helping you create a thriving, research-rich school improvement culture that sticks

Even the most successful school leaders can find themselves pouring ever-more effort and ideas into their schools only to be met with change fatigue.

Our charity has helped 100s of school leaders like you to gain the insights, support and confidence needed to overcome these barriers.

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I feel the approach to CPD of ALL staff has become more strategically aligned with the school’s development plan”

– Bernadette Kaye, South Shore Academy

We use our expertise and research to help you to identify and successfully embed carefully-designed changes, powered by the growth of your people, that make your existing improvement plans work more effectively.

Use membership to harness the
7 Domains of School Improvement

Domain 1: Culture and Wellbeing

Do staff feel buy-in and engagement to the development on offer?
Is there an open culture of collaboration and peer observation?
Do staff feel supported to grow in their careers?

Domain 2: Focus

Is CPD focused on improving teaching and learning?
Do staff have the opportunity to apply, embed and refine new ideas gained from CPD?
Does the school’s CPD meet a balance of generic pedagogical, subject-specific and pastoral needs?

Domain 3: Needs Analysis & Evaluation

Is CPD targeted at the needs of particular teachers and the pupils with whom they work?
Is the impact of CPD being planned and evaluated?
Do staff feel the CPD on offer is aligned to their needs?

Domain 4: Internal Support & Challenge

Are internal experts within the school trained and deployed effectively?
Are performance management processes conducive to effective staff CPD?
Are there opportunities to engage with critical friendships, coaching or collaborative enquiry?

Domain 5: Use of Expert Knowledge

How does the school commission external providers of CPD?
Are there opportunities to look outwardly and collaborate with other schools?
When staff attend external courses, are they given sufficient time and support to embed new ideas or strategies?

Domain 6: Processes & Structures for CPD

Is there sufficient leadership capacity and clarity around staff development?
What do career pathways look like, and are these fair/clear to all?
Is there enough time safeguarded for PD and is this time maximised?
Is staff development and meeting time structured effectively?

Domain 7: Use of Research and Evidence

Are professional development processes rooted in evidence-based theories?
Do staff have access to pedagogical research to inform their practice?

TDT Membership Components

TDT Diagnostic Tool

Benchmark your school against 7 domains and reveal insights that unlock effective change. Our process brings together your own insights with anonymous staff survey results, while your expert coach triangulates this with staff interviews and policy reviews.

Coaching

Termly support calls with your expert TDT coach ensure that you can reflect on your plans, solve problems, find and use the right tools from your TDT membership and learn with other schools.

Your coach helps you design and evaluate your progress, using TDT’s change and impact framework.

Portal Modules

Network-exclusive online modules guide you and your colleagues through understanding and implementing effective approaches to people-powered school improvement.

Key topics include leadership of professional learning, needs analysis and evaluation, and governance.

Collaborative Enquiry training

Stimulate enthusiasm, curiosity and critical reflection in your staff and embed research-informed thinking. Our programme walks you through the creation of a rigorous and carefully structured approach to teacher enquiry that balances individual autonomy with school and team priorities.

Pedagogical Coaching

A powerful way to improve teaching & learning. Build a team of trusted pedagogical coaches who are welcomed into classrooms to help staff review and improve practice.

Our model balances the need for rigour with the need to build confidence and ownership of learning.

TDT Associate Qualification
in CPD Leadership

The Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership is a 6-month intensive course designed to nurture future school and national champions of professional development.

You will critically engage with leading research and experience best practice first-hand, creating a robust CPD plan for 2021/22 that aligns with the DfE CPD Standards.

Now running into its 8th cohort, our flagship programme comprises three taught days of input, coaching and gap-tasks including literature reviews and organisational diagnostic reviews that culminate in the writing of a 7000-word assessed portfolio.

Interested?

Download our programme brochure

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Enrol now

Send us your full details to proceed with membership

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Want to find out more

Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your options with our team:

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Our Members

Being part of this project has been a key driver in our school improvement. Our recent HMI visit recognised the changes we have made as a result”

Jane Grey,
James Calvert Spencer College

Being involved in this
programme has been reassuring,
supportive and has provided our
school with direction and clarity
on the academy’s CPD priorities

Zara Blakemore
Hatfield Academy

About Us

The Teacher Development is the national charity for effective professional development in schools and colleges. Founded in 2012 by teachers and school leaders, our mission is powerful professional development in every school & college so that teachers thrive and children succeed.

Our work and evidence base

Read about the research that underpins our work, plus our track record.
Find out more

Newsletters

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Events and conferences

Explore our forthcoming catalogue of conferences

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Our Blog

My NPQ for Leading Teaching journey with TDT

My NPQ for Leading Teaching journey with TDT

by | May 25, 2023 | ,

NPQLT graduate Daniel Dowson, Shirley Heath Junior School, embarked on his TDTNPQ journey with our delivery partner Tudor Grange Teaching School Hub. Here, he reflects and shares the impact this has had on his professional practice and the learning outcomes of his...

Why become a trustee at TDT?

Why become a trustee at TDT?

by | May 19, 2023 | ,

We here at the Teacher Development Trust are currently recruiting for new trustees.  As Co-CEO I am obviously biased and am convinced we really are a fantastic organisation to work with, but why should you be interested?  I would like to suggest two key...

5 Tips from the NPQ for Leading Literacy

5 Tips from the NPQ for Leading Literacy

by | Apr 27, 2023 | ,

TDT’s Curriculum Designer, Ariana Wells, looks at five stand-out recommendations from TDT’s NPQLL that may support literacy leaders in beginning their leadership journey. “Literacy is fundamental for success in school and later life. Students who cannot read, write...

What you need to know about the new NPQEYL

What you need to know about the new NPQEYL

by | Jan 18, 2023 | ,

Gareth Conyard, Director of Education at Teacher Development Trust speaks about the importance of the new qualification available for the sector. Just over a decade ago I was lucky enough to work with Professor Cathy Nutbrown on her review of early years...