Continuing Professional Development
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Our Vision for Professional Growth
At the Meadows School, our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme ensures that every member of staff has the skills, confidence and understanding needed to meet the diverse needs of our pupils. We are committed to building a culture of lifelong learning where staff continually reflect, develop and share best practice.
Our CPD offer aims to:
- Embed evidence-informed approaches to pedagogy and communication.
- Strengthen confidence in adaptive teaching, behaviour support, safeguarding, and wellbeing.
- Promote collaboration, reflection, and growth across all roles and career stages.
We believe that when our staff learn, our pupils flourish.
How We Deliver CPD
Professional learning at The Meadows is structured, inclusive, and responsive to staff and school priorities.
- INSET Days: Focused on priorities such as safeguarding, curriculum development, health and safety, and pedagogy — featuring expert input and practical planning.
- Weekly Twilight CPD: A rolling calendar of short, targeted sessions covering areas linked to curriculum and teaching, achievement, behaviour, health and safety, safeguarding, etc.
- Personalised CPD: Staff access online learning, peer observations, external training and conferences aligned to individual development goals.
- Online Learning Platforms: Including National College, PSHE Association, Read Write Inc, White Rose, and EFL Learning Shared.
- Induction Programme: New staff complete a structured introduction to safeguarding, communication systems, and school processes.
- Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) training: It forms a core part of our CPD offer, providing structured guidance, mentoring and collaborative development opportunities. Our CPD is delivered through a blend of face-to-face sessions, coaching, peer observation and online learning, ensuring staff access relevant, high-quality professional development.
This layered model ensures that professional development is strategic, accessible, and directly linked to classroom impact.
Reflective Inquiry and Collaboration
Reflective inquiry is at the heart of professional development at The Meadows. Staff are encouraged to explore, question, and refine their practice through structured reflection and shared dialogue.
Through peer coaching, learning walks, and collaborative planning, staff evaluate what works best for our pupils and why. This approach fosters curiosity, shared accountability, and continual improvement across all teams.
Reflective Inquiry Framework
Staff are supported to frame their reflection and professional inquiry around the following key questions:
- What is working well? – Identify effective strategies and strengths in practice.
- What challenges remain? – Consider barriers to learning or engagement.
- What does the evidence show? – Reflect on observation, data, and pupil responses.
- What can I adapt or trial? – Plan practical next steps to refine teaching.
- How does this improve outcomes for pupils? – Link reflection to impact on engagement, progress, and wellbeing.
Reflective inquiry at The Meadows turns professional curiosity into purposeful action.
As part of class planning sessions, teams are encouraged to frame all discussions and evidence around the Intent–Implementation–Impact golden thread.
Impact on Staff and Pupils
Our CPD programme leads to a confident, skilled, and reflective workforce capable of enabling every pupil to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
We measure the impact of our CPD through:
- Improved pupil engagement, communication, and independence.
- Increased staff confidence evident through observations, planning, and delivery.
- Enhanced staff wellbeing, retention, and career progression.
- Greater consistency across teaching, assessment, and pastoral support.
- Full compliance with statutory training and safeguarding requirements.
- Recognition of CPD’s value through staff feedback and quality assurance.
By embedding reflection, collaboration, and inquiry in our CPD model, The Meadows School cultivates a professional culture of trust, growth, and shared success — ensuring every pupil benefits from the best possible teaching and care.
Other Information:
- CPD Policy – Outlines the school’s commitment to high-quality, evidence-informed professional learning for all staff.
- Professional Development Request Form – Used to propose external or personalised CPD opportunities. (Also available in the Staff Area of the website.)
- Professional Development Evaluation Form – Used to reflect on the impact of training and share key learning with colleagues. (Also available in the Staff Area of the website.)
