Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guide for Teachers

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) encompasses all the activities, formal and informal, that help you grow as an educator. It’s not just about attending courses — it includes reading research, observing colleagues, mentoring, action research, and reflective practice.

Effective CPD has been shown to improve student outcomes, increase job satisfaction, and open doors to leadership opportunities. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) identifies sustained, collaborative CPD as one of the most impactful investments a school can make.

A good CPD plan is intentional, not reactive. Start by asking yourself:

• Where am I now in my career, and where do I want to be in 3–5 years?
• What are my current strengths, and where could I improve?
• What knowledge or skills would help me serve my students better?
• What does my school need, and how can my development align with its priorities?

Document your plan and share it with your line manager or mentor. Review it termly and adjust based on feedback and changing priorities.

The most effective CPD is sustained over time and embedded in practice. Research by the Teacher Development Trust identifies these high-impact approaches:

• Lesson study — Collaborative planning, teaching, and evaluation with colleagues
• Instructional coaching — Regular, targeted coaching sessions focused on specific pedagogical skills
• Action research — Investigating a question about your practice and implementing changes based on evidence
• Professional reading groups — Discussing research papers or education books with colleagues
• External courses and conferences — Valuable for new ideas, but most effective when combined with in-school follow-up

You don’t need to wait for your school to provide CPD. These free or affordable resources can accelerate your development:

• Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) — Research-backed teaching and learning toolkits
• Chartered College of Teaching — Impact journal, research reviews, and certified programmes
• ResearchED — Conferences and publications bridging the gap between research and practice
• TES — Articles, resources, and a professional community
• Podcasts — “Mr Barton Maths Podcast,” “The Teaching Podcast,” “Thinking Deeply About Primary Education”

Whether you’re preparing for a performance review, applying for a new position, or pursuing Chartered Teacher status, you need evidence of your CPD impact. Keep a reflective journal or portfolio that records:

• What CPD activity you undertook and when
• What you learned or what changed in your thinking
• How you applied it in practice
• What impact it had on your students or colleagues

This evidence is invaluable for applications and interviews — it shows you’re a reflective practitioner who takes development seriously.