Designing an Effective CPD Programme in Schools: 7 Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

I’m not sure about you, but I’ve lost count of the amount of twilight sessions or INSET days I’ve attended where I’ve been excited to go, thinking ‘Yes! A chance to get better and do better!’ but I’ve come away feeling angry and let down. When I sit back and reflect on the provenance of my negativity, it inevitably points back to one thought: my time was wasted because I have learnt nothing new or tangible.

CPD is meant to be one of the highlights of working in education, and the reason why should be clear. This sector is full of bright, inquiring minds eager to learn, and CPD, when done well, gives a chance for all colleagues to belong and flourish. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a colleague that doesn’t want these things for themselves on both a personal and professional level.

The research shows that teachers largely value their own CPD (Ofsted / DfE – Independent Review of Teachers’ Professional Development. Phase 2, 2024). So why, when we mention it to colleagues, do we often hear the deep Darth Vader exhale that sounds like staff are tired of it before we’ve already entered our school hall? The answer? Because your CPD offering is not yet as effective as it could be. This blog, far from judging your design/programme, is here to help you diagnose where it might be falling short, with the overall aim of improving it.

Potential Pitfall #1: Lack of effective diagnostics

Lack of an effective diagnostic process appears to be a common error (Teacher Development Trust – CPD Landscape Study 2025) resulting in a misdiagnosis of professional needs. With the increased focus on CPD being evidence-informed, QofEd colleagues are diligently doing their role in this respect. Many are reading all the new research, buying all the books flying around the educational ether (of which there are many), connecting with colleagues in their MAT/partnered schools and attending conferences. The issue here is that this isn’t always helpful. Why? Because the online space in particular is often a sales forum, even in education, forever telling us what to consume (ideas, research, classroom and leadership strategy), but this isn’t necessarily what your colleagues and school need. Or, if they do need it, they might not need it right now. I’m 17 years in, and I have lost count of the number of conversations I’ve had with SLT about a shiny new CPD offering which hinges on exciting new research (and they’ve met the author of the new book which is number 1 in Amazon bestsellers!), but I’m sometimes left wondering: what need is this meeting? Strong T&L leads should be reading around and being inspired but should also be able to sift through what is a bestseller online, and what is going to be a bestseller in their school, and the reason why this is important is a sales one- you can’t hard-sell to a group of bright people who have very specific needs. Run your diagnostics first and work out what your school/teams/individuals need, don’t assume they need it. One potential tool is CUREE Needs Analysis Tool, which supports teachers in identifying their prior knowledge, specific development needs, and alignment with school priorities (CUREE, n.d.).

Potential Pitfall #2: Adopting a One‑Size‑Fits‑All Approach

By this term, I refer to a lack of contextual (school-focused) or individual (colleague-focused) personalization. Recent research has highlighted that many teachers feel that CPD is not tailored to individual professional goals (Gatsby Foundation / Teacher Tapp – The Current State of CPD for Teachers, 2024). With the rise of MATs, it is all too easy to judge schools for not personalizing their CPD, but it is a ridiculously difficult tightrope to walk and we must not forget the competing demands and stakeholders. Trying to design effective CPD programmes that follow the central trust vision, meet the school’s own needs and individual needs can feel like an impossible task. How can you design CPD that caters to everyone personally but do it at scale? There are different ways of doing this, but there are core elements that need to be considered at all stages of design:

1. Shared themes/strands (e.g. ‘high quality assessment feedback’)

2. A common research base underpinning this specific goal

3. Pathways of choice catering to colleagues at different stages of their career

4. Elements of some form of coaching with clearly defined success criteria in line with the above

5. Opportunities for collaboration

6. Opportunities for reflection of impact

   
   

   A good CPD programme should resemble a tree: deeply embedded roots (goal, common research), the trunk is the set of pedagogical principles taken from the research, the branches are teams/pathways, the blossom and leaves are what you see day to day (the fruits of the labour) classroom/leadership practice/ flourishing colleagues with sky-high ambition who are keen to face the sun for more.

Potential Pitfall #3: Poor Evaluation Practices

This is a common pitfall, and with time and budget constraints, on the surface, it seems understandable. Who has the time to pick apart the impact of an initiative that you have spent months designing (so, confirmation bias in action, is bound to be effective?). We all need to make that time, because ironically, it makes no time/budget-related economic sense to not evaluate the impact of CPD. A school cannot justify spending thousands on implementing CPD if you don’t provide dedicated time to both quantitatively and qualitatively measure the impact of said investment. How many of us think we know the EEF model of the Implementation Cycle (EEF, 2024) and yet, don’t actually carry out the 4^th stage ‘Sustain’ effectively, because we haven’t considered how we are going to measure impact? Who will do this, when and why? We know that evaluation isn’t something we do right at the end. It is intentionally designed for from the very beginning, and we cannot afford to see it as a token accountability measure that might be dropped, even if we are resource-constrained.

Another point to consider, is how evaluation should be conducted. According to Goodall, Day, Lindsay, and Muijs (n.d.), evaluation of CPD in schools typically focuses on participant reactions rather than meaningful impact on teaching or pupil outcomes. Whilst I am a strong believer of gathering staff voice, we do need to include student outcomes as one form of measurement.  One framework to consider exploring is Coldwell, M. & Simkins, T. (2011) Level models of continuing professional development evaluation: a grounded review and critique. Professional Development in Education.

Potential Pitfall #4: Failure to Address Barriers Faced by CPD Leaders

Now, the weight of holding a QEd, T&L or CPD focused role is huge. I’ve not carried out this role, but numerous line managers have, and I have seen enough to know that this is a mammoth job. You have to live that role (as with all roles) to understand that weight. Whilst these jobs are like gold dust to find (they are - I'm on the lookout), that doesn’t imply they are desired because they are easy. This is a misconception. We often hold the people that hold these positions in high regard (as we should), but they are mere mortals too. We need to consider how we are resourcing their role to enable them to carry it out effectively. Timetabling/teaching load is one of the most significant barriers to a CPD/T&L lead being able to do their job. Yes, I would argue they need to be teaching (they need to experience teaching on the ground day to day to understand it), but we need to consider what classes we are giving these colleagues, where their skills lie, and teaching hour allocation. Schools are stretched, and whilst there is no official numerical guidance on teaching allocation for SLT, we need to be realistic with their role demands. It makes limited sense to have your SLT in classrooms for too much of their time; pay per hour, number of bodies in the room they are impacting with their skills, utilization of skillsets, potentially lower motivation if those SLT feel they are not being valued/developed at leadership level. However, this is just one of many barriers that CPD leaders face. If you want an effective CPD programme, ask them what other barriers they are facing. This is obvious, but barriers are often assumed, and misdiagnosed, so solutions can be ineffective.

Potential Pitfall #5: High Workload/Poor Calendaring

Teachers reported that whole‑school CPD is often delivered at fixed, poorly timed points in the school calendar, creating a culture of “blanket CPD” that fails to match staff needs or allow for sustained follow‑up, thereby reducing effectiveness (Teacher Development Trust, 2025). This factor is obvious, and yet, some schools still aren’t carving out meaningful regular time on timetables for CPD. We know why: budget and staffing constraints. That’s the problem, but then how are you going to solve it? Constraints aren’t the end of the discussion on this factor, and this article won’t let you use this as thus. High workload- we know there are numerous causes (general admin, communications, legal documentation, mandatory training, marking) the list is endless. But if you aren’t diagnosing where your pinch-points are in the year and designing an effective school calendar with numerous stakeholder contributions (you'd be surprised how many middle leaders are not consulted in the design of a school calendar), if you aren’t improving structures/systems/processes by listening to colleagues at all levels, then that workload will remain high. In that situation, one of the first things to go is CPD. What is the solution? A deeply embedded CPD programme that is threaded throughout your school year/s (CPD vision should not run from Sept-July), woven into your calendar at meaningful points, not ‘let’s make this random date in February an Inclusion-focused session’ but more ‘at what time would this particular session relating to Inclusion land best and why?’ and ‘can staff take on CPD during this week when PPE marking will be taking place?’ In other words, think where your CPD needs are at certain points in the year, and balance those with where it is manageable. No-one rolls their eyes at a twilight CPD session quicker than a HoD who knows their team is assessment-swamped and you are delivering a session at 3pm the night before the data deadline and the session is nothing to do with assessment. If you aren’t sure where those needs/pinch-points are, consult with colleagues, at the bare minimum, with your middle leaders.

Potential Pitfall #6: Ineffective Senior Leadership

It is hard to measure effectiveness of this kind of team, and it can be highly subjective, and the purpose of this discussion is not to judge. But this factor is pivotal to CPD success. Sheffield Hallam University (2023) found that the success of CPD is fundamentally shaped by leadership culture, with effective CPD requiring SLTs to build trust, openness, shared decision‑making, and a collaborative learning environment—conditions that poorly led teams often fail to provide. Prepare yourself for tough questions here. Do your SLT all demonstrate the core values of your school? Do they all use similar language demonstrating a shared commitment? The crux of the issue: Is your SLT operating as a successful team or do they meet twice a week and represent mini fiefdoms? There is no judgement if your answers flag up concerns. It makes sense. Senior Leadership is a broad umbrella term for a collection of colleagues with different skillsets, experiences and roles. The only thing that unites them, is that they run the same school. Now, if you just agreed with that statement, we may have diagnosed part of the problem. Your SLT should be aligned on more than just this. Take a hard look at your team, take those familiarity specs off (especially if you personally recruited them), and ask, do these people all have their hearts in similar places? Do they hold the same values? And, more importantly, how tightly do they hold these values in pressured situations and how do we see those values lived in their respective teams day to day? If your team are truly aligned (and I don’t just mean ‘they’re all in it for the kids’ important- but generic education values), then you can probably assume your SLT have a good chance at being effective in their roles. This is important, because CPD requires a competent, visionary but strategically unified and realistic SLT who all understand that CPD is everyone’s responsibility. Whilst one person may be the T&L/CPD lead, the whole team walk the CPD walk, and if even one person deviates from the core values in words or deeds, it is a safe bet to assume that the impact of your CPD programme will take a hit. Designing effective CPD is not just the work of one colleague, it is the work of a SLT team with a collective mindset. It cannot be expected that one colleague designs and delivers a CPD programme in isolation. CPD is a team effort, and you can’t expect a whole staff body to be a motivated team moving in the same strategic direction if your SLT aren’t one first.

Potential Pitfall #7: Weak School Culture

Now, this is possibly the biggest contributing factor to CPD success that this article is going to discuss. You may be wondering why I left it to last if this is the case, but this decision was purposeful: A. This is the last potential pitfall you’re going to read (recency effect) and B. If all the other pitfalls discussed above are avoided, it can help to avoid this pitfall. How do we define school culture? It is a highly-complex (and subsequently difficult to operationalize) concept. The best way I can describe this in a couple of sentences (which feels like a reductionist stab at a holistic concept): This is how people collectively feel about the school. not the one-off incidents or momentary reactive emotions. The everyday typical feeling felt by most stakeholders about what the school represents (ethos/norms/attitudes), what it lives day-in-day-out (systems, processes, structures), the relations inside that school (how people communicate) as well as the physical environment. It is the entire socio-emotional climate. Your CPD (and, in fact, everything in your school) hinges on this being intentionally well-established and lived. This takes years and is an organic reality, but I don’t want this to put you off exploring this. Because, as overwhelming as the concept of school culture might seem at first, you can run culture diagnostics easily, you can take small positive steps today, and every day, to build culture, because that is how it develops and embeds. I could write numerous articles on this (and luckily, so many brilliant colleagues have!) but for the purpose of this one, I will keep it brief. Your CPD programme won’t work as you want it to if your staff culture is unintentional, incoherent or negative. Why? Because what colleague wants to do CPD if they don’t identify with, feel like they belong, or that they matter, to the school trying to encourage them to partake? I’m not suggesting you don’t design a CPD programme whilst you are building this healthy culture (it takes years and our staff/students don’t have the time to wait for this), but I am suggesting that you build this culture simultaneously. As teachers, as leaders, colleagues want to flourish, and this involves CPD, but this will not happen if you don’t get colleagues into that learning environment with a positive mindset first. You then need to support colleagues in that aligned mindset every day so that they can demonstrate the impact of that CPD with their teams and students. Support cannot just be pep-talk positivity (that can be frustrating and alienating when you are on the receiving end), it needs to be responsive and resourced. Meaningless words won't fly with most colleagues, so, whatever reason is holding them back from buying-in to your culture of CPD, you are going to have to spend time getting to the root cause and then addressing it. Use your middle leadership to this end. They often have winning relationships with their team, and can provide pivotal feedback.

The above list is not exhaustive by any means, nor do I claim to be an expert on CPD design, but I hope this article has provided some food for thought/ starting point for some CPD discussions which will no doubt be going on during the summer term in all schools!

This article will leave you with some potential solutions to explore moving forward.

Potential Solutions:

Pitfall #1: Lack of Effective Diagnostics

• Conduct a rigorous needs analysis (school, team, individual) before selecting or designing any CPD – Include your key stakeholders and do this at numerous points in the year. One potential tool is CUREE Needs Analysis Tool, which supports teachers in identifying their prior knowledge, specific development needs, and alignment with school priorities (CUREE, n.d.)

• Prioritise contextual need over popular or trending CPD ideas to ensure relevance and timing, but do encourage all staff to engage with new research and books. There is something to be learned from any literature.

  
  

Pitfall #2: One‑Size‑Fits‑All Approach

• Build CPD around shared whole‑school themes supported by multiple pathways tailored to role and career stage.

• Integrate coaching (different models available), collaboration, and structured reflection to personalise learning within a coherent framework.

  
  

Pitfall #3: Poor Evaluation Practices

• Plan evaluation from the outset, adopting a mixed evidence approach to measurement such as practice change, pupil outcomes, and staff voice.

• Replace reaction‑only surveys with scheduled impact checkpoints embedded throughout the year.

• One framework to consider exploring is Coldwell, M. & Simkins, T. (2011) Level models of continuing professional development evaluation: a grounded review and critique. Professional Development in Education.

  
  

Pitfall #4: Barriers Faced by CPD Leaders

• Reduce teaching load for SLT and protect time so CPD leads can research, plan, monitor, and coach effectively.

• Ask CPD leads directly what barriers hinder their work, rather than assuming their needs (you might be surprised at the things they mention- many of which might be easy fixes).

  
  

Pitfall #5: High Workload / Poor Calendaring

• Integrate CPD strategically across the year (avoid one-off INSET sessions) and avoid known workload peaks.

• Co‑design the CPD calendar with stakeholders to ensure sessions are meaningful, well‑timed, and manageable.

  
  

Pitfall #6: Ineffective Senior Leadership

• Build an SLT culture grounded in trust, shared values, aligned language, and collective responsibility for CPD.

• Ensure every SLT member models the CPD vision consistently to avoid fragmented messages.

Pitfall #7: Weak School Culture

• Strengthen belonging and trust so staff feel valued, connected, and aligned with the school’s purpose.

• Conduct culture diagnostics and make small, regular improvements to systems, communication, and daily norms.

• One audit tool to consider is the DfE’s Behaviour Culture Audit Tool to diagnose strengths and weaknesses in staff culture, including leadership, relationships, norms and staff development (DfE, 2024).

References

Coldwell, M. & Simkins, T. (2011) Level models of continuing professional development evaluation: a grounded review and critique. Professional Development in Education, 37(1), pp.143–157.

Available at: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/6104/1/Coldwell%20-%20level%20models%20of%20cpd.pdf

CUREE (n.d.) The Needs Analysis Tool: Self‑Evaluation Tools (SET) for Effective CPD.

Available at: http://curee.co.uk/files/publication/1283503013/CPD%20Providers%20SET%20-%20the%20needs%20analysis%20tool_FINAL.pdf

Department for Education (2024) Creating a school behaviour culture: audit and action planning tools.

Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/creating-a-school-behaviour-culture-audit-and-action-planning-tools

Education Endowment Foundation (2024) A School’s Guide to Implementation: Guidance Report (Third Edition).

Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/implementation

Gatsby Foundation & Teacher Tapp (2024) The current state of CPD for teachers. Available at: https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/updates/the-current-state-of-CPD-for-teachers/ (Accessed: 2 April 2026).

Goodall, J., Day, C., Lindsay, G. & Muijs, D. (n.d.) Evaluating the impact of CPD. University of Warwick; University of Nottingham; University of Newcastle. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/25756928/Evaluating_the_Impact_of_CPD (Accessed: 2 April 2026).

Ofsted & Department for Education (2024) Independent review of teachers’ professional development: Phase 2 findings.

Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-professional-development-in-schools-phase-2-findings (Accessed: 2 April 2026).

Sheffield Hallam University (2023) Leadership is the key to good CPD.

Available at: https://research.shu.ac.uk/psemc/2023/08/04/emerging-findings-leadership-is-the-key-to-good-cpd/ (Accessed: 2 April 2026).

Teacher Development Trust (2025) CPD Landscape Study 2025.

Available at: https://tdtrust.org/research (Accessed: 2 April 2026).