Author: eliza

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Policy Guidelines

Continuing Professional Development Policy / Guidelines Contents Summary
	Page
Principles and values	2
Roles and Responsibilities	3
Identifying CPD needs	4
Evaluating impact and disseminating good and successful practice	4

PRINCIPLES AND VALUES
This organisation is committed to a continuous process of improvement and enrichment.
This organisation is committed to promoting continuous learning and aims to motivate and develop its staff and students. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the means by which this organisation achieves this aim.
CPD promotes high morale and self esteem within staff, building a satisfied workforce through personal and professional fulfilment. This is achieved through a variety of levels – through the individual, the team and the whole organisation.
This organisation supports the Teacher’s Standards developed by the Department for Education (DfE) which states that teachers should ‘take responsibility for improving teaching through appropriate professional development’.
It believes that a clear and progressive opportunity to develop professionally and personally improves standards and raises morale. It also believes that CPD assists recruitment and encourages staff loyalty.
All staff are entitled to high-quality induction and continuing support and development. This organisation’s 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

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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 THE ORGANISATION
The organisation’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.
use of the full range of school and local expertise to improve practice
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
Elizabeth Boardman Dance, Elizabeth Boardman School of Dance including Elizabeth Boardman Dance Company’s named CPD leader is Elizabeth Boardman, Principle of the above.
The CPD leader shall be responsible for identifying and managing the organisation’s 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.
Requests for accessing CPD should be addressed to the CPD leader who will decide on the most effective means.
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 Standards for teacher’s professional development published by the Department for Education in that they will be based on a partnership between the leadership team, the teacher and providers of the professional development or training.
Successful partnerships should be based on the following principles:
Professional development should have a focus on improving and evaluating pupil outcomes.
Professional development should be underpinned by robust evidence and expertise.
Professional development should include collaboration and expert challenge.
Professional development programmes should be sustained over time
Professional development must be prioritised by school leadership
EVALUATION
Following professional or other 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.
Policy date: January 2026
Reviews are due annually.

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Elizabeth Boardman Dance - Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Policy Guidelines