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Personalised professional development: Bedfordshire schools and Oxford Brookes University working together

 

The importance the UK Government attaches to teacher professional development, underpinned by funding from the Training and Development Agency for Schools, enables innovative and flexible working arrangements to be established between schools and higher education institutions. One such example is the ongoing partnership between Bedfordshire’s training schools and Oxford Brookes University.

This collaborative work emerged from previous postgraduate programmes designed to support the learning needs of the authority’s teachers and to offer accreditation at Masters level.

In 2005 Bedfordshire developed an extended strategy for its training schools, part of which was to find a way to link the existing professional development activities of the training schools to a postgraduate award. A starting point for the enterprise was the undertaking of an audit to establish current professional development activities and to identify needs linked with school improvement targets. The audit revealed a desire for greater rigour and depth in school continuing professional development (CPD) programmes. This was felt to be the next step in the development and aspirations of the training schools. Oxford Brookes staff then matched these CPD activities to appropriate learning outcomes at postgraduate level and proposed a programme to link these activities to a postgraduate award. New elements were added by negotiation to ensure that the programme would be worth the standard tariff for a postgraduate certificate, namely 60 credits at Masters level.

The model Oxford Brookes developed with these Bedfordshire training schools has many of the features which, research suggests, are associated with successful and effective professional development for teachers, that is:

• the commitment and active support of the head teachers
• the link between professional development, career planning and performance development
• a programme that is both intellectually stretching and focused on practice.

(Soulsby & Swain, 2003)

In this case, the programme came into existence through the vision and support of Nigel Croft, Headteacher of Redborne Upper School, who was seconded to the local authority at the time of initial discussions.

The Bedfordshire model was built around the list of factors identified as promoting effective CPD and as having an impact on teaching and learning:

• teachers using external expertise (in this case Oxford Brookes)
• enabling staff to be reflective
• embedding learning into classroom practice over a period of time
• enabling participants to identify their own focus.

(CUREE, 2003)

The two lead training schools, which developed the model with OBU staff, are Redborne Upper School and Samuel Whitbread Community College. The project owes much to the commitment and enthusiasm of senior teachers, James Birkett and Jon Gunn, from Redborne Upper School; Dave Goode, from Samuel Whitbread Community College, and Teresa Farrow, the Learning Community Coordinator.

The project originated as a pilot scheme for a model of teacher learning that used the links within the existing local learning networks. In recent years, Bedfordshire has developed professional learning through the regional learning networks, which have training schools at the centre. Both the training schools involved in this pilot have a successful history of developing and delivering comprehensive professional development programmes for staff.

CPD at Oxford Brookes University is built around developing and supporting teachers’ school-based work at Masters level. The university was therefore interested in devising a model that had at its starting point priorities/themes from school development plans, namely personalised professional learning. This interest includes researching closer working relationships between professionals from schools and from our higher education institution.

The three themes that emerged from early discussions were:

• mentoring new teachers
• coaching for improvement
• leadership and management (middle management focus).

A fourth supporting module, school-based enquiry, was added in response to demand.

The finalised programme contains a series of activities/sessions divided into 20 credit modules, alongside an assessment portfolio requirement.

The two lead training schools recruited teachers from their own schools, as well as from other learning network schools in the area. The approaches to recruitment included the following steps.

• The learning network coordinator, Teresa Farrow, contacted schools, answered personal queries and advocated enrolment.
• The training school managers, James Birkett, Dave Goode and Jon Gunn, recruited staff on a one-to-one basis, as part of discussions concerning personal and school targets (this approach was successful because these teachers knew the staff well and championed the initiative).
• A joint social and information session held after school so that the teachers could meet university and school tutors. This was well attended.
• Additionally, once a ‘critical mass’ had been established, a ‘snowball effect’ became evident, with teachers joining the programme independently. Enrolment currently stands at 84 teachers.

How is this ‘blended and bespoke’ programme delivered and managed?

The training is planned and delivered jointly by the lead trainers in schools and the OBU tutors. The OBU tutors have a ‘hot desk’ at Redborne Upper School, available weekly, to offer regular tutorial support. Initial comments from the teachers indicate that this facility is very attractive to them, and they welcome the opportunity to have personal tutorial time at school. Additional support is offered via email which is extensively used.

What is the future for this programme?

Teachers’ enthusiasm for this approach to professional learning has led to a deep interest in continuing their studies. Arrangements are being explored to offer the remaining modules necessary for the completion of a Masters award, at either a local venue or a residential summer school. In addition, discussions have begun concerning further programmes for accreditation next year, building on the success of this year’s themes. The aim is to extend the programme to be responsive to teacher and school aspirations, namely to provide personalised professional development.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ms Mandy Winters is principal lecturer for CPD and postgraduate professional development leader at Oxford Brookes University, in the United Kingdom.

Ms Anne Price is a senior lecturer in education, specialising in maths and gifted and talented education at the same university.

Mr David Wood is an independent education consultant, working in the UK.

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