The National Approach to Professional Learning (NAPL), announced
today by the Education Secretary, will see £9 million in this
financial year, increasing to £15 million next financial year. It
is the single biggest investment in support for teachers in Wales
since devolution.
The funding will give schools the time and resources they need to
plan ahead for the new curriculum and ensure that changes are
made in a way that will prioritise the wellbeing of teachers and
minimise disruption to pupils’ learning. The funding will also
help ensure that there is cover for staff to be released for
professional learning.
Under the NAPL, Professional Learning will be an entitlement for
all practitioners in schools, not just teachers.
Schools will also be encouraged to create, share and exploit
learning opportunities with other schools and organisations as
they work together in clusters.
One of the most striking features of the NAPL will be an entirely
new approach to how teachers learn. A much more accessible blend
of learning will be available through Wales’ regions and
universities. This will encompass learning outside the classroom,
online learning, classroom learning and coaching.
This will ensure that teachers have much greater flexibility
about how and when they learn.
Education Secretary said:
“This major investment shows how highly we value teachers’
professional learning. It is an investment in excellence and we
are aiming for nothing less than a wholesale reform of how
teachers learn; a process that starts from the moment they begin
initial teacher education and goes right the way through their
career.
“This is a time of great change in our education system and it
will be impossible to deliver our new curriculum without a
high-quality education workforce. That is why we are making
it easier for teachers to learn and explore the curriculum,
giving them the time they need and not compromising their day to
day work or pupils’ learning.
“We are also providing schools with the option of working
together to help them make the changes ahead of the new
curriculum. This means that staff can be released to be involved
in collaborative professional learning and planning, drawing from
the very best evidence-based research.”
