Education
and skills secretary Charles Clarke has set out plans to boost teachers’
professional development and give them opportunities to improve classroom
practice and expertise in their chosen specialism.
Clarke
set out four specific areas for the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) to work on
over the next three years. They build on the proposals for a new continual
professional development (CPD) agenda set out in the Government’s five-year
strategy for children and learners:
–
To bring improved national coherence to occupational and professional standards
used throughout the school workforce and especially in the areas of teachers’
CPD, Senior Teacher, Excellent Teacher and Advanced Skills Teacher.
– To provide clear high-quality guidance to
schools on CPD and human resources and give leadership to local authorities in
these areas. Successful schools will ensure they build on initial teacher
training and development of every individual.
–
To monitor the quality and coverage of CPD in regions and subjects, working
with the DfES and other
partners such as the Specialist Schools Trust, the Higher Education sector and
subject associations.
–
To co-ordinate specific CPD programmes, where appropriate. Already the TTA has
responsibility for the postgraduate Professional Development Programme, which
has been commended by Ofsted
for its impact on teacher quality and school performance.
Clarke
said: "By setting out the remit under which the TTA takes this forward, we
believe that we will have the right support mechanisms in place to ensure that
every teacher has the opportunity to maintain and improve their subject
expertise and sustain their enthusiasm and pride in their work.”
Michael
Millar
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