Continuing Professional Development

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
 

 

Intent

At the Meadows School, our CPD programme is designed to ensure all staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to meet the diverse and complex needs of our learners. Our intent is to foster a culture of continuous professional learning that aligns with our whole-school priorities, supports personalised staff development, and enhances the quality of education and care we provide. Through a responsive and inclusive CPD offer, we aim to:

  • Promote evidence-informed practice in SEND pedagogy.
  • Build staff confidence in behaviour support, adaptive teaching, safeguarding, and inclusive communication.
  • Strengthen staff wellbeing, collaboration, and professional growth at all career stages.


Implementation

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Our CPD approach is comprehensive, sustained and embedded across all areas of school life. We implement this through a layered structure of development opportunities:

  • Whole-School Training Days: Strategic INSET days focus on school priorities such as curriculum design, school wide positive behaviour support approaches, communication strategies, pedagogical approaches. These sessions include expert input and opportunities for reflection and planning.
  • Weekly Twilight CPD: A rolling calendar of weekly sessions provides targeted, practical training on SEND-specific areas such as behaviour regulation, sensory needs, and structured teaching approaches.
  • Personalised CPD: Staff have access to self-directed learning including online modules, peer observations, and attendance at external training, conferences or networks, aligned to personal development plans.
  • Induction Programme: All new staff undertake a structured induction which includes safeguarding, behaviour expectations, communication systems and information on school processes and procedures.
  • ECT Support:  As part of our commitment to professional development, we offer a structured and supportive CPD programme for Early Career Teachers (ECTs). This includes tailored mentoring and regular training sessions. Our aim is to nurture confident, reflective practitioners who feel well-equipped to thrive in the early stages of their teaching career.


Impact

Our CPD programme results in a well-informed and skilled staff who are confident in supporting pupils to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. By prioritising ongoing development, we cultivate a shared language, reflective practice, and strong team cohesion that positively impacts our whole-school culture and outcomes for pupils.

 

Staff Reflective Inquiry

At the Meadows School, reflective inquiry is a cornerstone of our professional culture. We actively encourage staff to engage in structured reflection on their own practice, using observation, dialogue and evidence-informed frameworks to explore what works best for our learners. Through activities such as peer coaching, learning walks, collaborative planning, staff are empowered to ask critical questions, trial new approaches, and evaluate their impact on pupil engagement and progress. This culture of reflective inquiry fosters professional curiosity, deepens understanding of pupil needs, and drives continuous improvement across the school. By embedding inquiry into everyday practice, we ensure that professional development is not only responsive but rooted in real classroom experience.

 

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