Key Information

The TDT Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership

Build an effective strategy for leading professional development in your Setting​

Join the hundreds of school leaders who have transformed their whole school approach to staff development by qualifying as a CPD Lead with TDT. There’s evidence that a well-planned, implemented and evaluated approach to CPD provision consistently improves pupil outcomes, teacher retention, and staff satisfaction. However, the way to create and lead this kind of strategy isn’t common knowledge among school leaders.

The Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership gives you a deeper understanding of what effective CPD looks like over several learning sessions before guiding you to apply this knowledge to create a tailored professional development plan for your setting. Along the way, you’ll benefit from expert CPD coaching and learn with a network of like-minded colleagues from settings across a range of contexts.

By the end of the course, CPD Leads will have a clear way forward to work towards evidence-based school improvement.

Who is this qualification for?

Any school leader 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. All of our 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 or trust, building a shared understanding of the importance of staff development and creating successful plans for improvement. 100% of our 2024 graduates reported that they would recommend the course.

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. We encourage participants to visit and observe the CPD provision at another school as part of their development.

Absolutely!  We know that colleagues working in international schools value staying up to date with current research and connecting with peers in the UK and around the world. Many of our participants are based in international schools and find the format and content accessible and highly relevant.

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.

An Accredited CPD Qualification for School Leaders

Across 10 months, you will engage in:

  • Live online group training with a national cohort, 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.

Already confident in leading CPD and looking for peer support? Take a look at our Building Expert Leaders Programme

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