Key Findings

• A large majority of respondents felt that CPD was important, although far fewer were impressed with the CPD courses they had attended.
• Primary teachers spent more time on CPD than those in secondary schools.
• CPD linked to subject updates and teaching skills was most highly valued.
• Desire for subject knowledge CPD was high, particularly in science.
• Satisfaction with current subject-updating CPD was low, particularly in science.
• Half of all secondary-school science teachers had had no subject knowledge CPD in the past five years.
• Secondary-school senior managers believed that professional development was more strongly encouraged than classroom teachers believed.
• The main barriers to CPD were seen as financial and attitudinal.

"I am quite reflective and appreciate finding new ways to do things. I come back invigorated."

"I would like the school to be more involved in planning my future and developing me."

"It gives you the confidence to take the next step in your career."

"There's strong evidence that the skills of less experienced staff increase after CPD."

Detailed analysis of attitudes to CPD suggested that teachers can be placed in one of four groups:

• Seekers (16 per cent)
  Valued CPD but found their opportunities to benefit from it were limited. More likely to be found in secondary schools.
• Believers (38 per cent)
  Felt their careers had benefited from CPD. More often found in primary schools and among senior managers.
• Sceptics (12 per cent)
  Dubious about the benefits of CPD, which they saw as focused on government initiatives rather than their own professional needs. Mainly found in secondary schools.
• Agnostics (33 per cent)
  Might agree that CPD was important in principle, but doubted its quality or relevance. Needed convincing that future CPD would deliver something of value.