A year into her tenure as secretary of state for education, Bridget Phillipson gave a recent speech to school and sector leaders that stood out not for what was promised but for what was acknowledged: that enacting lasting change in education is difficult, complex and often slow.
It was refreshing to hear a minister resist the allure of quick wins. Phillipson said that her department “won’t shy away from what’s difficult and long-term in favour of what’s quick and easy”.
That might not sound like an instant election-winning slogan, but it is exactly the kind of leadership our sector needs.
It’s something to bear in mind when we are thinking about our approach to teacher professional development. In this arena, the draw of new, top-down initiatives remains strong. But meaningful learning - the kind that strengthens expertise, builds capacity and transforms culture - rarely comes neatly pre-packaged. It comes from people, networks and professional trust. It takes time.
Improving teacher CPD
Over recent years, government investment in national providers and Teaching School Hubs to deliver a “golden thread” of programmes has brought significant benefits to the professional development space, including evidence-based frameworks, greater consistency and improved access to CPD.
Yet as funding is withdrawn from key initiatives like the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), we are seeing the limitations of a centralised, provider-driven model. Data from the latest shows that NPQ take-up has dropped sharply in line with reduced financial support.
So, as we head into the summer holidays, where does that leave us?
As the Department for Education continues to review NPQs (with a final report expected in the autumn), we have a rare opportunity to shape a professional development system that is valued by educators at every level, is more equitable and accessible, and is deeply embedded in the existing work of schools and trusts.
As Phillipson noted, if we want to be aspirational for every child and every community, we must “spread excellence to every corner of the system”.
That does not mean imposing one-size-fits-all CPD models from above. It means recognising and amplifying the important learning already happening in schools, and building on what works - thoughtfully, collaboratively and respectfully.
Building ‘collective intelligence’
Much of the most impactful CPD already takes place within schools, often complementing national programmes, as trusts integrate NPQs and other initiatives into broader, contextualised learning offers.
This is when CPD truly works; when participants engage in meaningful, real-time learning that is aligned with their students’ needs and school priorities.
To support this, we need leaders equipped not only with frameworks but also with the insight and agency to apply them with nuance, and the ability to assist others in doing the same.
The Trust-Wide CPD Leads Forum, a national group of CPD leaders from across trusts and groups of schools, offers one model of what that might look like.
There is immense strength in networks of people doing the work while learning from one another. If we’re serious about system-wide change, we need to invest time into this kind of collaboration.
We must build collective intelligence, not just individual expertise.
That means devolving power to schools and trusts, resourcing them to lead their own development, and building and sustaining the networks that connect professional expertise across the country. It means amplifying the voices of those who are already actively learning and leading.
‘Change is hard’
The most pressing challenges facing our sector - inclusion, attendance and behaviour among them - will not be solved by another short-term pilot. These issues are complex and demand sustained, high-quality professional learning that is contextually relevant and embedded into school and trust priorities.
As Phillipson said, “to keep delivering better life chances for children and young people…we need to keep working together” in a “spirit of openness, honesty and respect”.
Change is hard. It takes time. But if we commit to the long haul - and invest in spaces to develop our collective expertise - it becomes not only possible but also unstoppable.
Tracy Goodyear is the chair and Sam Gibbs is the deputy chair of the Trust Wide CPD Leads’ Forum
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