Who are the most important people in your school? 

I’m guessing you said the kids, and yes, of course, they are the reason you get up every day and skip into work, lunchbox swinging in a carefree fashion.

However, if you want your children and young people to be amazing learners who achieve great things, then the adults in your school are the most important people. 

Bear with…

There’s lots of research to show the positive impact teachers can have on their students. It’s not rocket science. A teacher who forms strong relationships with their pupils, motivates them and knows their stuff will always have a greater impact than one who doesn’t.

If you’ve got a school full of excellent teachers who do all of the above, as well as taking their turn to empty the dishwasher and being happy(ish) to pick up the fox poo in the playground, then you probably think you’ve cracked it. 

And, with school budgets being in dire straits, you may think the CPD budget will have to suffer for the next few years. But we would urge you to think again, and here’s why.

Impact on pupil attainment 

Professor John Hattie, the godfather of educational research and author of Visible Learning, identifies Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) as one of the main influences on student achievement. So, what is CTE? 

As Hattie says:

It’s teachers having collective confidence, working together to have appropriately high, challenging expectations underpinned by evidence of their impact.

We believe one of the quickest ways to negatively impact teachers’ confidence and ambitions (for themselves and their class) is to give the message that leaders have chosen not to invest in their personal development.

One of the best ways to build a collective can-do, aspirational attitude is to help your team, during an INSET day or twilight, better understand their thoughts and behaviours, in particular, how to challenge their unconscious biases.

Impact on staffing and retention

When people feel valued and know they’re able to develop in their careers, there are other benefits to the school.

• They’re more loyal and less likely to leave, meaning you won’t be scrabbling around every supply agency trying to get an adult, any adult, in front of ‘that’ Year 4 class.
• They’re less likely to take days off sick. See above!
• They’re more likely to speak positively about the school in the local area and on social media platforms. This helps to attract new pupils, and more bums on seats = more money. It also helps recruitment. See above!

Impact on your school’s culture and success

What would you rather be? A leader of a school that’s forward-thinking and progressing nicely thank you very much. Or one that’s stagnating?

Yes, we understand it’s essential to have enough physical resources. It’s much easier to assess a piece of writing if it’s written with a pencil on a piece of paper rather than by Peter Pointer in the air. But it’s equally important to invest in your human resources, your people, because we know happy adults = happy kids. 

And when kids are happy, they:

• Are more engaged and want to learn
• Find it easier to remember and retain their learning
• Will be better at solving their problems
• Have healthy, supportive friendships
• Are much less likely to muck about 

How do you deliver great CPD within budget?

The best CPD offers a mix of internal and external training, so it’s time to think pragmatically and creatively.

Some training can be delivered well, for little or no cost. Your team will have a wealth of subject-based knowledge. Presumably, subject leaders also attend local authority events and briefings. And some will also carry out their own research, listen to podcasts, subscribe to magazines etc. 

Whether they deliver a session or host a drop-in clinic, work alongside people in the classroom or share clips and tips, they are in situ and can keep the momentum going through regular little chats.

You’ll also have people who’ve attended an event or had a chat with another professional and now have tips they can recommend to improve the practice of everyone. For example, maybe your Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) has been given some advice during their supervision session with an Educational Psychologist that would support everyone’s wellbeing.

When does it pay to pay?

If all CPD opportunities are in-house, you risk becoming an insular, inward-looking school. Instead, people need to learn from ‘experts’ who live beyond the school’s four walls.

At Laughology, we’re not claiming to know too much about Pythagoras’ Theorem or The Great Fire of London, but we know a lot of other stuff. To find out more, visit our Happy Adults page. 

And, if the purse strings are a little tight, why not chat with us about the following:

• How you can spread the cost by joining with other local schools for face-to-face sessions,
• How an online session might work – they’re cheaper than F2F but are still delivered in Laughology’s fun and interactive way.
• The great value that our hybrid leadership programme provides. This includes a licence for our online ‘Read’, ‘Watch’ and ‘Do’ materials so people can learn at a time to suit them. 
• How we can help you become a school that has great coaching chats so that, after a while, you have another fantastic free source of CPD and you can wave us off into the sunset with only the tiniest tear in your eye

If you want to speak to us about supporting your CPD, why not contact Doug - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - he’ll be more than happy to help you.