Professional Development & Training Service (formerly the Education Training Agency)
The Education Training Agency ceased operating as an independent Business Unit in 2002 and was absorbed into HIAS as the training administration arm of that service. Renamed as the Professional Development & Training Service it now has a wider brief that includes supporting the local implementation of the national policy for Continuous Professional Development (CPD). This embraces the management of some of the different national initiatives such as the Advanced Skills Teacher scheme and the Early Professional Development Pilot.
Proposed improvements
Outcome 1 Improvement in the standard and consistency of the quality of the training skills of commissioned trainers
Outcome 2 Clearly communicated rationale, purpose and selection criteria for each annual training programme offered to schools
Progress in implementing the Improvement Plan
Outcome 1
Performance Indicators |
Report on actions |
Level of course evaluation (with addition of trainer quality assessment) |
All courses now evaluated by a proforma which includes feedback on the performance of the trainer |
Level of 3rd party evaluations |
This target was amended because third party evaluation has been focussed on the Early Professional Development programme (now in its second year), rather than on the general Directory programme. As a DfES pilot, the programme is being evaluated by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). The Foundation has sampled 36 schools in the county and has given us a positive general summary in its interim report. It is currently preparing a more detailed report in order that we can get specific feedback which will allow us to modify the future programme |
Level of complaints on trainer quality |
A pilot programme of training for the HIAS Core Programme in Teaching and Learning trainers has been piloted over the academic year 2001-2002. This is informing the development of a basic Training for Trainers programme to be offered to newly recruited HIAS inspector/advisers |
Outcome 2
Performance Indicators |
Report on actions |
An annual written statement of our Continuous Professional Development (CPD) strategy communicated to schools |
The March 2002 Directory was prefaced with a summary of the national CPD strategy and its seven different strands, only. The target date for our own strategy has been moved to Autumn 2003 to allow the department to incorporate its response to the national strategy into a local strategy. The draft departmental strategy went to three consultation meetings with HIAS staff in the Summer and Autumn terms in 2002. The agreed strategy is being drafted and will be published for the Summer Term. It is also informing the consultation process with schools on the proposed Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College, which will be a mechanism to deliver the outcomes of the strategy |
Guidance for County CPD members on the selection criteria for courses |
All providers are now required to provide a course descriptor with learning outcomes linked to national standards. This is accomplished via a web-based proforma that is submitted electronically. Guidance to all CPD team leaders on this electronic submission system was issued in July 2002, trialled in August and went `live' to providers in September 2002. Editing of the submissions using this web-based system was undertaken for the first time this term, for the publication of the 2003/2004Directory programme. Further refinement of the system and the chosen criteria will be completed for the next publication of the Directory. |
Future Plans
The School Improvement Branch is in negotiation with schools on the formation and funding of the Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College (HTLC) - a virtual learning community for school staff. The Professional Development and Training Service will become the operational arm of the college and will be responsible for ensuring that a career-long programme of training and development opportunities is offered to Hampshire schools for all grades of staff.
In line with HIAS policy, private training providers will be excluded from future Directory training programmes offered through the HTLC, except where courses are specifically commissioned by HIAS personnel according to agreed criteria.
Contact for further information Terry O'Mahony
