Creating the Climate - Self Evaluation Guidance

How Successful Are We?

This section provides brief grade descriptions defining the key characteristics of school workforce development under the headings: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate.

It can be used in conjunction with school self-evaluation systems to assess the current quality of workforce development against the following criteria and to consider some of the requirements for improvement. The qualities are based on research evidence about good and successful school workforce development.

To download a Word version of the table below please see the 'helpful resources' box to the right.

Inadequate

Satisfactory

Good

Outstanding
  • Low priority in school.   Dependent on initiative of individuals or the occasional team
  • Little sense of continual learning and often cynicism with workforce development seen as a barrier to and in competition with school improvement
  • Little understanding of roles, functions and contributions of others in school
  • Relatively few individuals involved in meaningful development.
  • Little or no support from senior leaders, areas and governors
  • Resources very limited and rarely earmarked and viewed in isolation from school improvement
  • Many engage in workforce development activities but commitment and involvement varies
  • Some impetus from individuals from teams and individuals but much is top-down with only some taking a personal responsibility for their own development
  • Reasonable knowledge through school of many of the roles, functions and contribution of the wider workforce
  • Ethos focused much more on school or area issues rather than personal development
  • Equality of opportunity but not always demonstrated in practice
  • Reasonable support from the school leaders and governors  
  • Knowledge of resources available but only occasionally seen as linked to school improvement resources
  • Strong sense of “learning community” with most of the whole school community involved in workforce development
  • Many recognise benefits of effective workforce development
  • Many staff have a good understanding of the roles, functions and contribution made by the wider workforce
  • Most of the workforce are positive and enthusiastic.  A sizeable number show initiative and take responsibility
  • Equality of opportunity for most members of the workforce and most understand the basis for priorities
  • Support from the school leaders and governors  
  • Many understand the link with school improvement and the resources available
  • Strong sense of “learning community” with whole school community heavily involved in workforce development
  • Benefits of workforce development to school and individual widely understood
  • Extensive understanding throughout the school of the roles, functions and contribution made by the wider workforce
  • Workforce positive, enthusiastic, show initiative and take responsibility
  • Equality of opportunity and transparency
  • Strong support from the school leaders and governors who lead by example.  
  • Workforce development is widely understood to be a well-resourced and fully integrated aspect of school improvement 
     

helpful resources

1. Building School Capacity for CPD
The importance of CPD processes sitting at the heart of school life.

1. Creating the Climate - Self Evaluation Guidance

Learning Community Checklist
A check list for schools reviewing the CPD culture in other schools

Learning Community Impact Questions
A staff survey which could be used at the start and end of a year

Teachers TV

Teachers TV - Scotland CPD

Scotland - CPD
Find out how the Scottish education system manages CPD, and hear two Chartered Teachers explain how their status works for them.

Watch the video.