- Ofsted report finds that teachers want professional
development opportunities, but poor-quality training and
increasing workloads are slowing improvements brought about by
recent reforms.
Teachers are not getting the high-quality training they need and
struggle to find time for professional development due to their
mounting workloads.
An independent review published by Ofsted has found that schools
understand the importance of offering professional development
opportunities. However, leaders and teachers struggle to find
time for training due to competing priorities. The training that
they do get doesn’t always have a positive
impact.
The report is phase 1 of a 2-part review commissioned by the
Department for Education (DfE) looking at the quality of
teachers’ training and development in schools.
In 2021, the DfE made reforms to the early career framework (ECF)
and national professional qualifications (NPQs) as part of its
teacher recruitment and retention strategy. The ECF currently
entitles new teachers to up to 3 years of learning support at the
start of their careers. This training is designed to further
enhance their practice, knowledge and working habits. NPQs enable
existing teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders to develop
their expertise in specialist areas of teaching or
leadership.
The review found that the new training packages, when delivered
well, represent a significant step forward because they are
research-informed and designed to include both dedicated time for
professional development and follow-up with mentors. Generally,
early career teachers and staff undertaking NPQs were more
positive about their development experiences than other teachers,
in terms of it being relevant and of high quality.
Most teachers told Ofsted that improving their teaching was the
main reason for taking up professional development opportunities,
but they did not always get time to apply the
training.
Senior leaders noted that while in-house teacher training is
common, some aspects, including mentoring, were not always
possible due to competing priorities such as covering staff
absence, lesson preparation and marking.
The research also found:
- schools have prioritised training and development around the
curriculum
- teachers want more training on teaching pupils with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
- leaders and teachers are often unimpressed with the quality
of training and development received
- a strong emphasis is being placed on mental health and
well-being training, as a result of the pandemic
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:
“Schools know that professional development is vital, so it’s
disheartening to see poor-quality training and workloads getting
in the way.
“It’s important that teachers get high-quality training at every
stage of their career. Training helps teachers learn new
techniques and gain confidence, which in turn helps pupils.
“The ECF and NPQs are a positive development, but as we would
expect with a new programme, there remains some work to do on its
implementation.”
Notes to editors
- Ofsted’s report draws on interviews, focus groups and survey
responses collected from senior school leaders and teachers
during the 2021/2022 academic year.
- Phase 2 of the research will be carried out later this year
with a full report expected in early 2024.
The report itself can be found here: Teachers’ professional
development in schools: phase 1 findings - GOV.UK
(publishing.service.gov.uk) It will appear in ‘draft’ form
until the embargo lifts
