Cymraeg
Professional Development Opportunities
(PDO)
All requests and bookings for Professional Development Opportunities by teachers from Swansea schools, must now be made via the South West and Mid-Wales Consortium (SWAMWAC) website. Please use the link on the right.
This training service is delivered by advisers to school based staff, and will be the first year the programme is run in conjunction with other Authorities. Welsh courses will continue to be administered through the St Helen's Welsh Centre.
Lifelong Learning are also able to offer a range of non-vocational programmes throughout the Swansea area, complementing the array of courses planned by their partners in the Further Education, Higher Education and Voluntary Sectors.
Continued Professional Development (CPD) is relevant to all teachers. It is about making progress in the teaching profession — increasing the teachers' skills, knowledge and understanding as outlined in the professional standards for teachers.
Teachers have international CPD opportunities that many are unaware of, to study abroad, or to gain CPD as they guide their schools or classes through international progammes. The Teachers' International Professional Development programme, funded by the DCSF, is known as TIPD.
The TDA developed a national strategy for teachers' CPD as part of its advice to ministers. Part of that strategy is to develop guidance for schools on CPD.
Features of effective continuing professional development (CPD):
- Is likely to have a direct relationship with what teachers are doing in their own schools and classrooms
- Uses external expertise linked to school-based activity Involves observation and feedback - especially teachers observing learning from each other and expert colleagues
- Includes peer support - colleagues supporting one another rather than leadership by supervisors
- Provides scope for participants to identify the focus of their development
- Enables all staff to be reflective and focus on their contribution to children's learning and attainment
- Provides opportunities to work with other colleagues and share practice Includes opportunities to receive regular and structured feedback
- Applies processes for sustaining CPD over time to embed learning in classroom practice
- Includes opportunities for independent self-study
