Most multi-academy trusts invest significantly in teacher professional development – yet according to the Education Endowment Foundation’s recent analysis, while a third of teachers typically take part in PD at least once a week but only 29% of classroom teachers surveyed agreed that ‘time and resource allocated to professional development are used in ways that enhance teachers’ instructional capabilities”.
Research from the Education Policy Institute and the Teacher Development Trust suggests that UK schools spend between £2,000 and £3,000 per teacher annually on professional development, amounting to over £1 billion system-wide. Yet the evidence suggests this substantial investment isn’t delivering the expected returns.
The true scale of the challenge
The Teacher Development Trust’s comprehensive study of UK schools found that any schools struggle to provide such high-quality CPD due to financial constraints and workload pressures. More concerningly, More concerningly, research from the Education Policy Institute and the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that schools with limited professional development support experience higher staff turnover, compared to those offering robust CPD programmes.
Recent analysis from the National Foundation for Educational Research demonstrates that replacing a departing teacher costs schools an average of £4,400 in recruitment and transition costs — a figure that climbs to £6,200 in shortage subjects.
Evidence-based barriers to improvement
The Education Endowment Foundation‘s systematic review identifies three primary barriers to effective professional development:
Traditional scheduling approaches show limited impact. Their analysis of 104 schools found that teachers who received distributed learning sessions throughout the term showed 42% higher implementation rates of new practices compared to those who attended one-off INSET days.
Impact measurement remains inadequate. The UCL Institute of Education’s longitudinal study of professional development programmes found that 84% of schools rely primarily on participant satisfaction surveys, with only 12% tracking classroom implementation systematically.
Standardised delivery fails to meet individual needs. Research from the Chartered College of Teaching demonstrates that teachers at different career stages require substantially different types of support, with early-career teachers benefiting most from intensive coaching while experienced practitioners need differentiated challenge.
The wider impact on school improvement
The National Foundation for Educational Research’s 2023 report on school improvement identifies clear correlations between professional development effectiveness and broader school outcomes. Schools with evidence-based professional development programmes showed:
- 15% higher rates of teaching innovation adoption
- 23% stronger inter-department collaboration
- 18% better staff retention rates
- 12% improvement in student progress measures
Successful evidence-based approaches
The Education Endowment Foundation’s meta-analysis of effective professional development identifies several key characteristics of successful programmes:
Regular, bite-sized learning proves most effective. Their study of 147 schools found that programmes delivering 30-45 minute weekly coaching sessions showed significantly higher impact than traditional day-long training.
Data-driven personalisation matters. Research from the Teacher Development Trust demonstrates that schools using regular teaching and learning data to inform professional development paths saw 31% higher strategy implementation rates.
Technology-enhanced support shows promise. The UCL Institute of Education’s evaluation of digital coaching platforms found they increased engagement with professional development by 44% compared to traditional approaches.
Strategic implications for leaders
The Department for Education’s 2023 guidance on professional development effectiveness recommends leaders focus on:
- Implementing robust impact measurement systems
- Creating personalised development pathways
- Establishing continuous support mechanisms
- Leveraging technology to enhance accessibility
Evidence-based framework for improvement
Research from the Education Policy Institute identifies four key transitions required for effective professional development:
- From isolated training to sustained support programmes
- From generic approaches to data-informed personalisation
- From satisfaction surveys to impact evaluation
- From sporadic input to consistent coaching
Questions for reflection
- How does your current professional development approach align with the evidence base?
- What systems could you implement to better measure impact?
- How might your school leverage technology to provide more consistent support?
Share your thoughts and experiences below. How is your school network addressing these challenges?
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