CPD – we're in it together

Some of the most innovative and best practice is now taking place in schools in England. Yet there is a great deal of variety between schools, and many are isolated from practice going on elsewhere in the country. Many are also struggling to balance new freedoms and opportunities for innovation with the pressures of Ofsted, exams and accountability.

How can we ensure that improvements and successes in schools are shared with others and felt across the country more widely? How can we break through the isolation?

There has been a great increase in the amount of communication between individual teachers, largely as a result of developments in technology. Twitter and blogging has revolutionised the sharing of practice for many. It is a fantastic way to pick up new concepts and to learn about other opportunities and other’s experiences. That, however, is also its flaw. It is extremely easy to pick up a very high number of ideas, but not necessarily to embed and contextualise them into your own classroom, or to verify the evidence-base behind the idea.