What is continuing professional development (CPD)?
CPD events
Support for CPD
Removal of CPD regulations
CPD online
CPD: teaching, learning, assessment and quality assurance
CPD: generic activities
CPD: changes in the education and training sector
CPD: subject skills and knowledge
Useful websites, information and online courses
CPD resources for immediate download
CPD is the means by which you can maintain and improve your skills; knowledge and understanding, which should have a positive impact upon your practice. It’s not always about attending courses or gaining qualifications, but about taking responsibility for aspects you need to know more about or improve on. Hopefully the information on this page will give you a few ideas of what you could do to keep up to date with the subject you teach and assess. Some useful websites and resources are listed at the end of this page.
If you work in education, CPD should relate not only to teaching, learning, assessment and quality assurance practices, but also to changes in education policies, the use of technology, and developments regarding your specialist subject. This is known as being a ‘dual professional’. You are a professional teacher and assessor as well as a professional in the subject you teach and assess.
At any time of year, it’s always good to take time to reflect on what has gone well, what hasn't and what can be improved. You can then plan what you need to do next. You can use the ETF Professional Standards as a basis for this.
CPD can be informal or formal, planned well in advance or just be opportunistic. It can also be personal, i.e. to improve something for yourself which will also have an effect upon your professional practice, such as improving time management or the way you communicate.
All CPD should have a real impact upon your role, leading to an improvement in practice and an impact upon learning. Reflecting on your experiences, evaluating your effectiveness, and documenting how this has improved your practice will help you to see the impact your CPD has had.
Online CPD modules for various topics (written by me) in association with KMF Training can be accessed here.
The Education and Training Foundation have a list of events which are offered by different organisations. You can click on the word 'calendar' on the page to view the events by months.
AmplifyFE have a list of events here.
I am no longer delivering events but you can see details and photos from my previous events here.
Online CPD modules written by me in association with KMF Training can be accessed here.
These cover a variety of topics and can be taken anytime and anywhere (with a suitable device and an internet connection). You will receive a record of achievement for your CPD record.
Online CPD modules can be accessed by clicking here.
Resources to support teachers and learners can be found by clicking here or scrolling to the end of this page for those which are relevant to CPD.
Professional associations which support teachers can be seen by clicking here.
Videos can be seen by clicking here.
CPD advice from SET can be found by clicking here.
The Further Education (FE) Workforce Regulations for England were revoked in 2012. It is no longer a requirement for teachers and assessors in England to make a declaration of their CPD each year. However, if you are a member of a professional association such as the Society for Education and Training (SET), you must make a commitment to carry out CPD each year. The SET offers many free or subsidised online courses and CPD events for their members. You can find out more about CPD from the SET by clicking here. Free courses from SET can be found here.
The current professional association
the Society for Education and Training (SET) has lots of useful advice and support available to members and non-members.
I have devised online courses for teachers, trainers, assessors and quality assurers. I also have downloadable resources for CPD, just scroll down the page to see them. Resources for qualifications can be found here.
There are many online providers of CPD and qualifications, please check out this information before signing up, to ensure you are getting the service you expect.
It's good practice to update your teaching, learning, assessment and quality assurance knowledge and practice.
If you need to upgrade a previous version of a qualification to the current version, you can find details here e.g. if you achieved the assessment and quality assurance units D32/33/34/35 or A1/A2, V1/V2.
In association with KMF Training, I offer short online CPD modules which are only £18 and cover various topics. You can build up your CPD and gain a record of achievement as proof of what you've done.
If you teach and/or assess the teacher training qualifications, support materials are available here and resources are available here.
Before you plan to take a CPD activity, ask yourself the following:
What activity can I undertake which will have a positive impact upon my role?
How will the activity benefit me professionally and personally?
How will the activity benefit the organisation?
What will the impact be upon my learners and/or others?
The following are activities which you can carry out as part of your job role, which should only involve time rather than money:
There are constant changes in education; therefore it is crucial to keep up to date and embrace them. Examples include changes to the programmes or qualifications you will deliver and assess, changes to policies and practices within your organisation, regulatory requirements and government initiatives.
Keeping up to date with changes could include:
You can partake in lots of activities which cost very little, such as researching relevant information on websites, and reading journals and text books relating to your subject. Many publishers are happy to give away free inspection copies of text books (hard copy or electronic) in return for feedback. Reading them and providing feedback can be a way of ensuring your knowledge of the subject you are teaching is current. Just take a look at any educational publishers' website for 'inspection copies'.
Keeping up to date with your subject could include:
You could join free social network sites such as LinkedIn, which is a professional networking site. Here you will find groups you can join which are specifically aimed at your specialist subject. You can post questions and respond to queries, and join in regular discussions. If there isn't a group for your subject area, you could create one. You can join me in the Award, Certificate and Diploma Group.
The following websites are useful to gain up to date information regarding developments in the further education, skills and training sector. Most of them enable you to register for electronic updates or contain links to useful free courses, relevant research and resources.
Do check out these tips for finding a legitimate provider before you sign up for a course.
The websites are not endorsed by me, they are for your information, and I recommend that you check their legitimacy before agreeing to anything.
Please contact me if any of these links no longer work.
Template – Personal Development Plan (in Word) (50p)
(Ref AT003)
1 page template which can be used to plan CPD activities. A completed example is available to purchase below: Ref A9060
Completed example of a Personal Development Plan (80p)
(Ref A9060)
1 page completed example of a personal development plan from the perspective of an assessor. A blank form in Word is available to purchase above: Ref AT003
Completed example of a Reflective Learning Journal (£1.50)
(Ref I9015)
2 page completed example of a reflective learning journal. This is from the perspective of a teacher delivering their
first session to a new group of learners. The detailed reflection takes into account theories such as
Schon and Brookfield. A blank form in Word is available to purchase above: Ref AT005
Resources to support teachers and learners can be found by clicking here.
Professional associations which support teachers can be seen by clicking here.
Videos can be seen by clicking here.
Ann's online CPD courses can be accessed by clicking here.