Effective Professional Development in 16-19 settings

Published

Reflection and planning tool

Recommendation 1

Build a culture of continuous professional development

In many settings, the wide range of teaching experience, course types, and staffing structures— such as industry entrants, multi-site delivery, and a mix of part-time and full-time roles—adds valuable diversity, but also introduces complexity.7 These factors can make culture-building more nuanced. While leaders play a key role in driving the implementation of PD, it is the collective contribution of all practitioners that shapes a thriving development culture.8

When practitioners feel included in decisions that affect them, and their perspectives are genuinely valued, change is more likely to succeed.9 That’s why effective leaders don’t just lead PD – they engage, unite, and reflect with the people within their organisations to build a shared sense of purpose and progress.10

Step 1

Enable practitioners to influence PD

Create meaningful opportunities for practitioners and stakeholders to share their perspectives, ideas, and concerns – people value what they feel part of.

Step 2

Make the process and solutions collaborative

Create spaces for practitioners to work together, share expertise, and solve problems for PD — to reinforce how everyone contributes to collective success.

Step 3

Actively steer the process

Keep implementation of PD focused and on track by clearly communicating the direction of travel, explaining decisions, and showing practitioners how their input has influenced PD plans.

Practice example

An outline of what implementing ‘Engage’ could look like in your setting.

In this voice clip, Emma Mills from Truro and Penwith College reflects on the power of ‘Engage’ and how staff voice shapes PD priorities.

Step 1

Establish shared purpose, values and commitment

Explore common goals, acknowledge and address concerns, and discuss the risks and benefits of new approaches – people are more likely to buy-in when they can see how it aligns with their values.

Step 2

Explain what is being implemented, how it will happen, and why it matters

Create clarity about expectations, support, and what will be gained – fostering shared understanding. Ensure consistency in application.

Step 3

Position monitoring and reflection as a tool for learning and improvement

Encourage a supportive, learning-focused culture of PD, to enable on-going improvement – for example, by positioning roles like Teaching and Learning Coaches as enablers of growth rather than agents of accountability.

Practice example

An outline of what implementing ‘unite’ could look like in your setting.

In this voice clip, Francesca Elgie from Middlesbrough College Group considers the role of ‘Unite’ in building a shared culture of PD.

Step 1

Review needs and context

Regularly reflect on the needs of learners, practitioners, and the organisation and why those needs have emerged. Consider current practices, capacity, and feasibility, to ensure the PD is relevant and achievable across multiple levels such as individual, department/faculty, and setting wide. Revisit these reflections as needs evolve.

Step 2

Monitor delivery and progress

Check whether practices and approaches are being delivered as intended: what’s working, for whom, in what circumstances, and why, or if they aren’t working as planned.

Step 3

Adapt and improve

Use various data sources to evaluate whether changes to practice are reflected in the learning environment, quality monitoring, or learner outcomes. Identify barriers and enablers to inform and refine future PD planning.

Practice example

An outline of what implementing ‘Reflect’ could look like in your setting.

Summary

Building a culture of continuous professional development requires more than delivering training—it involves engaging practitioners meaningfully, uniting teams around shared values, and reflecting regularly to adapt and improve. In complex educational settings and contexts, where roles and experiences can vary widely, effective PD culture can be shaped by inclusive decision-making, collaborative problem-solving, and clear communication. Leaders play a vital role in steering this process through clarity of purpose and shared goals, but it is the collective involvement of practitioners that sustains it.11

Case study

Rebuilding trust through collaborative professional development at Truro and Penwith College.

Truro and Penwith College recognised that top-down professional development and quality assurance practices were failing to engage staff. Amid sector-wide challenges with teacher retention and workload, there was a need to rebuild trust and foster a more meaningful, inclusive culture of PD.

In response, the college shifted its approach to centre on staff voice, relevance, and collaboration.  Staff now shape PD through voluntary Education Exchange forums (half-termly themed reflective discussion), department-led topic selection, online modules and team design of PD.

A challenge for the quality team has been balancing whole-college priorities with individual development goals.  The college is addressing this by aligning PD themes with strategic priorities and with personal reflections gathered as part of the Education Exchange feedback cycle and faculty self-assessment. 

Pedagogical themes such as retrieval practice, modelling and questioning are identified. Course teams reflect on strengths and areas for growth, which are collated by curriculum leaders and inform whole-college PD. Selection is guided by a mix of practitioner feedback, learner outcomes, and insights from lesson observations to ensure priorities are data-informed and rooted in everyday teaching.

PD is delivered in small, discussion-based sessions rather than lecture-style training, which supports active participation and peer learning. The shift has been championed by 15 cross-college ‘cultural architects’ - engaged staff who model, support and spread effective practice across teams. 

Through a growing emphasis on collaborative reflection, PD is viewed as an ongoing dialogue. The college is now exploring ways to link PD more explicitly with the appraisal process to reinforce reflective practice.  

Backed by visible senior leadership support and shaped through continuous staff input, the college’s PD offer is helping re-energise teaching professionals. The shared mission to improve teaching and learning to ensure learners have the best chance at university, apprenticeships, or employment, has provided a unifying purpose that galvanises the whole staff community.

Truro and Penwith College