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Continuing Professional Development and Formation

“Every teacher can improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better.” – Dylan Wiliam

At Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, our Continuing Professional Development and Formation (CPDF) empowers teachers to grow, innovate, and inspire. It directly supports our whole-school priorities by strengthening curriculum delivery, developing teaching quality, and ensuring every student is known, valued, and able to thrive. CPDF equips staff to deliver inclusive, adaptive teaching, make the most of assessment and feedback, and bring the Catholic curriculum and ethos to life in every lesson. Through reflection, collaboration, and ongoing professional growth, our teachers embody the College’s mission and teaching and learning principles, ensuring all students achieve their full potential.Bottom of Form

CPDF takes place every Thursday afternoon, on calendared INSET days and as part of morning briefings bi-weekly and is centred around our teaching and learning principles and mission to ‘Let God’s love be our guide.’

#1 Sequencing of the curriculum supports long term acquisition of knowledge

#2 Adaptive and responsive teaching ensures all students learn and achieve well (including DP and SEND)

#3 The gateway to wider learning is underpinned through reading, disciplinary literacy and explicit vocabulary instruction

#4 Assessment strategies are used to check what students know and can do

#5 Climate for learning ensures a positive learning environment where students thrive

#6 The Catholic Curriculum is at the heart of the learning experience

 

Alignment of CPD to Whole School Priorities

  1. Curriculum Delivery
    • CPD ensures teachers understand and implement the sequenced Catholic curriculum effectively.
    • Supports disciplinary literacy, vocabulary development, and reading across subjects.
  2. Teaching Quality and Student Learning
    • Training focuses on quality first teaching, adaptive strategies, and differentiation to meet the needs of all students, including DP and SEND.
    • Evidence-informed approaches help teachers improve learning outcomes and student progress.
  3. Inclusion and Personalisation
    • CPD equips staff to know each student, adapt teaching to individual needs, and create inclusive learning environments.
    • Encourages strategies that enable all students to thrive, reflecting the College’s Catholic mission of care and respect.
  4. Assessment and Feedback
    • Professional development strengthens teachers’ use of formative and summative assessment to inform planning and improve outcomes.
    • Aligns with quality assurance processes to monitor impact and inform school improvement.
  5. Staff Development and Leadership
    • CPD builds leadership capacity, collaborative practice, and subject-specific expertise.
    • Connects to staff growth and whole-school strategic goals to drive continuous improvement.
  6. Catholic Ethos and Mission
    • CPD reinforces the College’s Catholic identity, ensuring teaching, pastoral care, and learning experiences reflect mission values.
    • Encourages reflection on faith, vocation, and moral purpose in professional practice.

 

Continuing Professional Development and Formation :

Aligned to whole school priorities

  • Difficult and demanding work – Teaching to the Top (HPA)
  • Adaptive Teaching (internal and external training – Neurodiversity in schools Trafford)
  • SEND in the classroom
  • Oracy in the classroom
  • Checking for understanding – principles and practice
  • Achievement is for all – school, subject, class

The National College and Self Led CPD

  • Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, Part 1 and Annex B
  • Behaviour for Learning Policy
  • Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
  • Teaching and Learning Policies
  • Internet User Policy
  • Anti Bullying Policy
  • AI Guidance

Weekly Together for Ten for all staff

  • Reading Ages – Update at Key Stage 3
  • Responsive reading
  • Adaptive teaching – reading and vocabulary
  • SEND in the classroom
  • Inclusion
  • Staff Growth and Development
  • Brilliant BTH – HPA
  • Careers in the curriculum
  • Quality Assurance (termly focus areas)
  • Personal Development – A Curriculum
  • Active Circulation

Curriculum Meetings

  • Weekly departmental briefings
  • Achievement and in class interventions
  • Department Meetings
  • Middle Leader Meetings
  • Moderation time forms part of INSET
  • Subject specific CPD
  • Focus on departmental priorities, teaching and learning principles and whole school focus areas

ECT Programme and New Staff Induction (weekly – some sessions listed below)

  • BTH – policies and practices
  • Relational practice
  • Safeguarding
  • Reflective practice
  • Everyone’s a Reader
  • Wellbeing and Workload
  • SEND in the classroom
  • Vocal Health
  • Career progression
  • Planning
  • Teaching A Level
  • Personal Development

External CPD

  • Subject specific CPD
  • Examiner Training
  • NPQ – Bright Futures
  • Shrewsbury Dioceses DADAH
  • Head of Department Network Meetings

Pastoral CPD and Safeguarding

  • Weekly Year Team Meetings
  • Panel Meetings
  • Attendance Meeting
  • Termly Year Team Meetings
  • Safeguarding Refreshers throughout the year

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