Page 3 - SPA Professional Development 2019-20

Professional Development at South Pennine Academies

What kind of Professional Development should you expect from South Pennine Academies?

All of SPA’s Professional Development programmes have been carefully selected and designed to promote expertise over mere compliance
training. The courses and opportunities offered in this brochure are based around the following five principles as put forward by Heath Monk
in his chapter, ‘Making Time for CPD’, from Managing Teacher Workload (John Catt Educational, 2016), to drive mastery, autonomy and
purpose at all levels,:
1. Access to genuine expertise: SPA will draw on internal and external expertise to build on the work undertaken between peers in
schools. There will be no showmanship; all programmes are evidence-based and allow for discussion and practice.
2. Freedom to take risks: all courses and opportunities encourage participants to step outside of their comfort zone, challenge
preconceptions and take a risk.
3. Feedback: embedded in the language of coaching, feedback is central to the ethos of all our programmes. All participants will receive
honest and direct feedback.
4. Time for Reflection: there will be built-in time for teachers to reflect on their learning and progress.
5. Trust: there is an implicit expectation that teachers take responsibility for their learning, that they are accountable for it, too, because
they are professionals who want to do the best for their pupils. All SPA Professional Development pathways seek to do this.
Additionally, there is a clear match-up with the DfE’s ‘Standards for teachers’ professional development’:
1. Professional Development should have a focus on improving and evaluating pupil outcomes.
2. Professional Development should be underpinned by robust evidence and expertise.
3. Professional Development should include collaboration and expert challenge.
4. Professional Development programmes should be sustained over time.
5. Professional Development must be prioritised by school leadership.
Ultimately, whichever pathway, course or opportunity a teacher chooses to follow, they will be assured of professional dialogue, a chance to
practise, the opportunity to receive feedback, and time and space for personal reflection.

To book or find out more information on any of our courses please visit www.southpennineacademies.org or call us on 01484 503110 3