p3. Introduction

The characteristics of CPD that we have found to have positive outcomes included:

School Improvement Service

Working with you to deliver the very best education for every child by delivering the very best professional development for every practitioner.

• the use of specialist expertise linked to school-based activity - primary consultants working with school teams and particular practitioners to develop subject specific expertise;
• peer support or coaching/mentoring, including observation, to provide a safe environment for experimentation - consultants working through plan, do, review cycles in school;
• scope for participants to identify their own CPD focus and starting points - development of the whole school contract with the co-ordinating consultant e.g. the writing of the school contract drawn from priorities identified in the SEF and school's improvement plan;
• processes to encourage, extend and structure professional dialogue, reflection and change - with a subject and whole school initiative focus e.g. work on new Primary Framework and collaborative CPD in schools;
• processes for sustaining the CPD over time - training teams in school coaches and supporting teaching and learning teams;
• access to a blend of online, ICT-based and face-to-face CPD within professional learning communities - blended learning pilot work and the work of the DLC (Digital Learning Community).

Exemplified from the work of primary learning and teaching consultants in the East Riding of Yorkshire.