Continuing Professional Development Policy

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) promotes high morale and self-esteem within staff, building a strong and competent workforce through personal and professional fulfilment. This is achieved through a variety of levels – through the individual, the team and the whole organisation.

Next Generation Dance Studio is a community of learning where staff are involved in a continuous process of improvement and enrichment.

Next Generation Dance Studio is committed to promoting continuous learning for its staff with the aim to motivate and develop professionally. Giving opportunities to develop professionally and personally improves standards, raises morale and encourages staff loyalty.

All staff are entitled to continuing support and development. Next Generation Dance Studio CPD provision will allow staff to progressively develop skills and abilities, allowing them to build on and reinforce skills and expertise.

KEY POINTS

Continuing Professional Development:

  • is the key to improving pupils’ achievement
  • is an entitlement for all members of the workforce
  • is the professional responsibility of the individual, as well as the organisation at which they are employed
  • should be underpinned by the process of self-evaluation
  • should be clearly linked to individual needs
  • should support all individuals within all areas of the organisation to develop their own practice and update their knowledge, skills and understanding
  • should promote professional reflection and enquiry
  • should support individual aspirations and career progression
  • involves a wide range of planned learning and development experiences
  • should be evaluated and reviewed by the individual and the organisation
  • provides a role model and enthusiasm for lifelong learning in our pupils
  • should be central to a strategy for recruitment and retention, making working within the organisation an attractive career option

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITES

There are two key partners involved within any individual’s professional development – the organisation and the individual. This partnership requires trust and clarity of roles and responsibilities. The following provides guidance on these roles.

The role of Next Generation Dance Studio

Next Generation Dance Studio’s commitment to CPD can be demonstrated by both policy and practice in recruiting and retaining a well qualified and well motivated workforce. This commitment will involve:

  • developing a learning culture which promotes professional development opportunities for all staff
  • providing induction for all staff new to the school and/or undertaking new roles or responsibilities
  • supporting and leading CPD
  • providing the chance to discuss career and personal aspirations, and the means to achieve these goals, through annual staff appraisal.
  • access to a wide range of organisation-based and / or external CPD opportunities
  • monitoring the success (or failure) of CPD activities by evaluating the outcomes of CPD and its impact on pupil achievement. This is to improve future provision and is a quality assurance process

 The role of the individual

The workforce of all teaching organisations includes a wide range of staff either directly involved in the teaching of pupils or in supporting their learning either inside or outside the classroom.

All staff within the organisation should:

  • engage with the common aim of achieving the most effective education for pupils
  • take responsibility for their own professional development
  • take an active role in the evaluation and development processes of the organisation
  • support each other and work together to achieve the highest professional standards
  • reflect on their own practice and seek to improve skills and deepen knowledge
  • be fully committed to sharing their expertise in the interests of the pupils they teach or support
  • be open to learning from the effective practice of their colleagues
  • be prepared to change when new ideas, findings or technologies are introduced
  • identify training needs to improve working performance and personal career development
  • maintain a professional development portfolio that includes a record of achievements, self-evaluation and possible future development planning and career progression

 IDENTIFYING CPD NEEDS

  1.  The Principle of Next Generation Dance Studio will be CPD leader
  2.  The CPD leader shall be responsible for identifying and managing Next Generation Dance Studio CPD needs. Such needs will be identified largely through existing mechanisms (e.g. annual staff appraisals and self-evaluations), as well as through informal and formal discussions with individuals.
  3. Requests for accessing CPD should be addressed to the CPD leader who will decide on the most effective means.
  4. The CPD leader shall provide information on the range of CPD opportunities available and is responsible for communicating relevant opportunities to appropriate staff. The information will be kept updated and made accessible to staff.

The opportunities available will fully reflect the recommended Code of Conduct & Practice produced by the Council for Dane Education and Training in that they will only be offered if they:

  • are based on standards of good practice – in development activity and in teaching and learning
  • help raise standards of pupils’ achievements
  • are provided by those with necessary experience, expertise and skills
  • are based, where appropriate, on relevant standards
  • are provided in a space which is fit for purpose and properly equipped
  • have effective monitoring and evaluation systems

EVALUATION

Following professional development, the participant will discuss with the CPD leader the opportunity to inform the relevant staff about what was learnt. Relevant feedback about the provision and the ideas should be given to the CPD leader. Where it is agreed that there would be benefit in a wider circulation or follow up, the CPD leader will be responsible for organising that, e.g. circulating relevant resources, a session at staff or subject meeting, introducing a teaching or learning strategy

The CPD leader will review annually whether any aspects of the CPD provision do not meet needs appropriately

The CPD leader shall be responsible for assessing the value for money aspect of CPD through the monitoring and evaluation of the impact on the school community. This will be undertaken at a variety of levels including:

  • immediate/short term evaluation by participants
  • longer term follow ups undertaken usually at a period no less than 6 months following the provision
  • informal discussion with colleagues about improved practice

This Policy will be reviewed yearly and updated as required) 14/04/2021