Supporting teacher personal development
Henry Ford once said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
It’s a philosophy we embody at AUEA, as embracing change and doing things differently is what we’re all about. As an inner-city school, one of the areas we are most keen on is providing opportunities for good personal and professional development for our staff. It’s an important part of our recruitment and retention policy.
Given the time crunch teachers are under, it’s key to make sure our development opportunities are relevant to their needs. For example, hearing about how a colleague encourages more independent thought and responsibility with a specific group of Year 11 pupils can be more relatable to teachers than sitting through a day of whole-school presentations that won’t be relevant to all the teachers in the room.
Every Monday afternoon, our students finish earlier to allow dedicated staff CPD. We have a five-week rotation covering different areas including departmental time, SEND and safeguarding. We encourage our staff to take external courses and training such as the NPQ courses, or to take time to watch one of Teaching Times' Teachers and Leaders Professional Masterclasses. Staff also have access to personal and professional courses and degrees at Aston University. Many of our staff go on to secure leadership and wider responsibilities earlier than those in most other schools.