Creating time and space for professional learning

Introduction

Our National Mission is to achieve high standards and aspirations for all children and young people. The introduction of Curriculum for Wales alongside significant reforms relating to children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN), and an emphasis on equity in the education system to ensure that all learners are given the opportunity to achieve their best, have changed the landscape of the education system in Wales.

As outlined in the National Professional Learning Entitlement, we want all practitioners to be able to access high quality professional learning to further develop reflective, enquiring and collaborative education professionals and a culture of mutual responsibility in relation to professional learning.

Practitioners’ use of the professional standards to reflect on individual practice should inform performance management and school improvement arrangements. This in turn should feed into the development of the school’s professional learning plan and an individual professional learning journey for every practitioner.

Schools should use all forms of professional learning, whether that is time allocated to INSET or other school-led professional learning, or engaging with externally delivered professional learning (funded via the Professional Learning Grant and other sources) to develop their staff within the context of schools as learning organisations.

Role of leaders in planning professional learning

Enabling ambitious professional learning for all practitioners in a school dedicated to being a learning organisation is one of the key attributes that schools that are successfully realising the curriculum will possess as outlined in the School improvement guidance: framework for evaluation, improvement and accountability.

Leaders should continue to use self-evaluation to help them plan professional learning that meets the improvement priorities of the school. They should consider the difference professional learning has made to practice in the classroom and the effect this has had on the progress of learners (where appropriate). The use of INSET and other professional learning should feed directly into and out of the school improvement planning process.

Estyn has been clear that leaders need to create a positive culture and ethos to promote and support the continuous professional learning of all practitioners. Leaders should therefore consider how all forms of professional learning improve practice and ensure a collective understanding of the education reforms.

Leaders who build a strong ethos for the school as a learning organisation are committed to using time for professional learning effectively and to developing a shared understanding of how professional learning contributes to improved outcomes for learners. They should identify effective practice within their organisation and facilitate effective approaches to sharing this with practitioners through INSET or other means: a common understanding and a common approach must support all practitioners in the school.

A key feature of effective use of professional learning (whether that is INSET, other school-based or externally delivered professional learning) is providing practitioners with opportunities to work in collaboration to develop new approaches to learning, teaching and securing well-being. This could be through enquiry, innovation or the evaluation of impact. Collaboration can be within the setting, in partnership with another school or provider, across the cluster or across the wider education system.

Leaders should also consider how they evaluate the impact of all forms of professional learning to help them make informed decisions about ongoing provision and priorities for the school development plan.

Characteristics of effective professional learning

Professional learning should have a focus on improving teaching and developing practice in line with the professional standards for teaching, leadership and assisting teaching.

Estyn has articulated a broad set of underpinning principles that characterise effective professional learning:

Collaborative – practitioners work together within and across schools as a key feature of professional learning, including through coaching and mentoring.
Reflective – professional learning provides opportunities for practitioners to reflect critically and candidly on current practice and being open to others’ reflections on how practice can be improved or developed.
Informed – professional learning is based on research and effective practice and it supports practitioners to build their own skills in making use of evidence, research and data.
Evaluated and impactful – the outputs and outcomes of professional learning are evaluated to consider the impact on learner progress and learning.
Responsive and agile – schools and providers are responsive to their evaluation of professional learning, reflecting on its value and contribution to school or provider strategic priorities and making changes so that it builds capacity to drive improvement.

The National Academy for Educational Leadership Wales has developed the Leading Professional Learning resource to help school leaders in Wales bring fresh, strategic thinking to how they lead professional learning within their school and beyond.

In-service training (INSET)

In January 2023 the Minister for Education and Welsh Language laid the Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The Regulations increase the number of INSET days from 5 to 6 days for the next 3 academic years (2022 to 2023, 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025).

Planning for INSET

When should INSET be taken

The additional INSET day for 2022 to 2023 academic year must be taken in the summer term. This is to ensure that parents or carers have sufficient notice and to minimise any potential impact on learners in exam years. It will also ensure that schools are able to work with bus and transport suppliers.

In the 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 academic years, schools and local authorities can decide when it is best to take the additional INSET day. Schools should consider how best to make the most of the additional INSET day to address their development needs. As with all INSET, we recommend that schools ensure that sufficient notice is given to parents or carers.

Twilight INSET

Some schools use 3 x 2-hour twilight sessions spread throughout a term to make up one INSET day. We are aware that some schools complete 12 twilight sessions a year in place of 4 of their INSET days, with the other two days taken in school time.

We recognise that delivering an INSET day as 3 twilight sessions may help staff (including Teaching Assistants), who have their own caring responsibilities, to fully engage in professional learning. However, it is very important that parents or carers are provided with clear information on these sessions. This may help to avoid any misunderstanding, for example, parents or carers often question why staff are not at school on a scheduled INSET day. In this instance, it needs to be explained clearly that staff have already undertaken 3 twilight sessions instead (see Communication).

Taking INSET days in blocks

We have been made aware of schools who have blocked INSET days (for example, taken 5 in a row). We do not consider this to be good practice and would discourage this approach. INSET time is best spread out through the year to effectively address school development priorities and support all practitioners’ professional learning.

Collaborative approach to INSET

We would encourage schools in the same local authority area, diocesan authority or from the same cluster to take some of their INSET on the same day. This would help to minimise the impact on parents or carers who have learners in different settings and would also support and enable collaboration between schools to consider national priorities and to discuss learner transition and the 3 to 16 continuum.

We would therefore encourage schools to work with their cluster colleagues on at least one of the INSET days (although we would expect these to increase to at least 2 days in future years) to maximise the opportunities for collaboration and shared learning.

We recognise that this may not be possible for special schools and PRUs.

How much notice do schools have to give parents or carers of the additional INSET day

There is no set notice period but we would ask schools to give parents or carers as much notice as possible as many need to make childcare arrangements. We are aware that many schools notify parents of the planned INSET days for the next academic year at the end of the previous academic year. This will also allow for sufficient notice to be given to bus companies and others.

Use of INSET

The expectation is that all INSET offer quality professional learning and should align with the principles of the National Approach to Professional Learning.

National priorities

A focus on professional learning in the context of our national priorities to implement Curriculum for Wales, ALN reforms, equity in education and Cymraeg is the responsibility of us all. This will be critical if we are to ensure the success of Our National Mission to deliver a reformed and successful education system in Wales. It is intended that supporting practitioners to deliver our key priorities will lead to improved learner outcomes across the school sector.

We would expect schools to use the equivalent of 4 INSET days to address national education priorities, and to enable all staff to engage with professional learning and collaboration. National resources have been developed to support schools and can be found below.

School priorities

We know that schools are in different places in terms of their development journey, and we want to remain as flexible as possible in how INSET days are used. The professional learning engaged in during INSET should reflect the priorities set out in the school development plan based on their self-evaluation, and should support schools to develop the 8 contributory factors for successfully realising the Curriculum for Wales.

Schools have the flexibility to manage their staff’s professional learning according to local and individual priorities. Although the Welsh Government will continue to recommend national themes and topics that should be considered, it is a matter for schools to decide which ones they address first.

It should be noted that although the Welsh Government recognises the need to allow schools to have flexibility in their approach, we also need to ensure that INSET has a positive impact on practitioners and on learners in the classroom.

In the case of special schools and PRUs we recognise that flexibility will be required given the circumstances and needs of these settings.

Mandatory training

INSET should continue to allow teachers and teaching assistants to undertake mandatory training such as health and safety and safeguarding. Mandatory training is usually supported through local authorities.

We recognise that in the case of special schools and PRUs it may be necessary to allocate more INSET time for mandatory training than in mainstream schools.

Communication

All school staff should be informed of the aim and purpose of planned INSET and how it supports the school development plan. It should be clear what can be expected and there should be clear plans for what the INSET will achieve to enable staff to link the professional learning with their individual journeys. It is recommended that governing bodies are also informed of the purpose and aims of INSET.

We would also advise that schools clearly communicate with parents or carers about the purpose and aims of their INSET. INSET sessions place an additional financial burden on parents who may need to arrange childcare for their children. Transparent and clear communications between schools and the community may help to dispel some parental misconceptions such as INSET days being a 'day off', particularly if schools use a twilight model and parents are not aware.

Communication with parents and carers can be undertaken in a number of ways including through newsletters, emails and social media.

Who should attend INSET

All school practitioners should attend and benefit from INSET.

We recognise that the terms of conditions of employment for teaching assistants are set by individual local authorities and differ from those of teachers and headteachers which are governed by the STPC(W)D. However, the Welsh Government is clear that in order to establish a positive culture that encourages and supports practitioners to engage in professional learning, all practitioners should part take in INSET, including teaching assistants.

We would encourage teaching assistants and teachers to engage in INSET together where appropriate so that they are able to develop a common understanding of how the school will address our national priorities.

Where a teaching assistant or part-time teachers are not able to attend INSET, the senior leadership team should provide opportunities for them to engage in professional learning including sign posting to both synchronous and asynchronous resources, including those developed by the regional consortia, local authority or Welsh Government. We have also worked with regional consortia to ensure that there is specific professional learning available for teaching assistants via the Teaching Assistant Learning Pathway (TALP).

Teaching assistants make an essential contribution to supporting learners to access differentiated learning within the classroom. Some may also be fulfilling the ALNCo role where they were SENCos before 4 January 2021. Therefore, we expect teaching assistants to be included in any INSET or professional learning opportunities related to ALN.

INSET for special schools and PRUS

We recognise that special schools and PRUs may not be able follow some of the specific aspects of this guidance. However, we would expect them to adopt the general principles and good practice.

We would expect all practitioners to have access to the appropriate professional learning and training needed to allow them to perform their roles safely and effectively and to meet the needs of their learners.

Special schools and PRUs should also ensure that parents or carers are given sufficient notice of any planned training or INSET to allow parents to make appropriate childcare arrangements.

Resources for use in INSET

These are some of the resources available to help schools in the planning and delivery of INSET that focus on the national priorities.

INSET areas of focus: Additional learning needs system

A programme of online learning to develop skills and knowledge to turn the ambitions of ALNET into a reality for learners across Wales.

An introduction to the new additional learning needs system in Wales

Designed for anyone working with children or young people, including parents and carers.

Additional Learning Needs (ALN) principles: online training for practitioners in statutory roles

Knowledge of the ALN system.

The principles and practice of Person-centred Practice.

The importance of the Individual Development Plan process.

Additional learning needs: professional learning for headteachers

Understanding of the implications of the ALN reforms.

Understanding the strategic role of the ALNCo.

National Professional Learning Pathway for Additional Learning Needs (NPLP ALN)

Core, intermediate and advanced chapters to develop skills and knowledge under one of four cross-cutting themes: leadership and management; communication and joint working; evidence-informed practice; and supporting learners with ALN.

Neurodivergence: Community of practice

Recorded events sharing good practice and peer support in supporting neurodivergent learners.

Evidence informed approaches to improve teaching and learning.

INSET areas of focus: community focused schools

Community focused schools guidance: Using this as a starting point for discussion as a whole staff on the current provision in each of the 3 key areas with opportunities to identify priorities for each.

Family and Community Engagement Toolkit

Parentkind Blueprint for Parent Friendly Schools

INSET areas of focus: Pupil Development Grant (PDG)

Whole staff discussion on:

ways to support children and families living in poverty; identify cost barriers and stigma risks across school day and beyond
evidence informed approaches to improve teaching and learning.

Tackling poverty together: a guide for schools in Wales

Price of Pupil Poverty: Children in Wales

Supporting Vulnerable Learners: professional learning.

INSET areas of focus: Supporting achievement and safeguarding

Attendance: Review of the whole school policy on attendance and strategies for developing good attendance. Analysis of attendance of different groups within the school, particularly those who are eFSM and those from vulnerable groups.

INSET areas of focus: Whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing

Framework on embedding a whole school approach to mental health and well-being: Discussion on the framework and using this to create an action plan.

INSET areas of focus: children and young people rights in education

Supporting most vulnerable learners. Schools to use framework to audit current practice and identify targets for development.

Framework for Trauma Informed Working

INSET areas of focus: Regional consortia Curriculum for Wales professional learning

Each session from the Curriculum for Wales Professional Learning Programme is being recorded for access after the session. Schools can use these sessions during INSET.

Welsh Education Consortia - Curriculum for Wales Professional Learning

INSET areas of focus: Regional consortia national programmes

The full range of regional consortia professional learning programmes can be accessed here: Consortia Addysg Gymraeg | Welsh Education Consortia

INSET areas of focus: World Education Summit (WES) 2023

Various resources that may be of use can be accessed for 12 months following the WES 2023. Those who registered for WES can access the website and log in (‘My account’): https://www.worldedsummit.com/

Anyone who did not register for WES can use their Hwb login and register.

INSET areas of focus: new professional learning resources

Welsh Government is working with a range of external partners and experts to develop new professional learning resources to support practitioners including:

INSET areas of focus: Professional learning policy insights

Welsh Government’s virtual 'Policy Insight events' keep stakeholders up to date with professional learning developments.

These bitesize 1-hour sessions are delivered by school practitioners seconded to Welsh Government. They are held virtually and are also made available asynchronously.

Professional learning grant

The professional learning grant was first made available to schools in 2018 to allow schools to prepare for Curriculum for Wales.

Purpose of the professional learning funding

The main purpose of the funding is to create time in schools for all practitioners to develop their skills and practice to deliver high quality teaching and learning for all learners. It also enables schools to continue to adapt and access necessary support, including the national Curriculum for Wales professional learning programme.

It is essential to allow time and space for practitioners and leaders to work together across schools and networks to continue to roll out Curriculum for Wales and continue to access the necessary support. With this in mind, the funding conditions are sufficiently flexible to enable schools to work together in ways to meet the specific needs of their own settings.

The funding, which is paid to schools via the regional consortia or local authorities, will enable schools to fund professional learning in accordance with their school development plan.

Examples of how the professional learning funding can be used

A collection of school focused case studies on Hwb demonstrate a range of innovative approaches to maximise enhanced professional learning funding. Schools can also access a range of professional learning resources via the Hwb repository.

Examples of how the funding can be used include:

releasing and covering staff to be involved in collaborative professional learning and planning – at a school level, and across clusters and networks
incentivising and rewarding staff to investigate the implications of Curriculum for Wales for their own teaching and assessment practice – at individual level, by funded release for professional enquiry or professional learning
creating roles and posts dedicated to the mission, and especially to supporting colleagues, departments and whole schools through professional enquiry, change management and schools as learning organisations activities
development of the role of a school or cluster level professional learning coach.

The funding should not be used to fund activities or purchases not related to professional learning for Curriculum for Wales and other Welsh Government priorities. Please note that a random sample of schools will be selected to provide evidence of appropriate expenditure of the professional learning funding allocation.

Who should benefit from the funding

In line with the National Professional Learning Entitlement, professional learning is an entitlement for all practitioners in schools, not just teachers.

The professional learning funding is not reserved exclusively for teachers and leaders and should also be used to also facilitate access to professional learning for teaching assistants and supply teachers, for example.

Therefore the expectation is that while the funding formula has been based on the number of FTE teachers in schools, all practitioners – teachers, teaching assistants and leaders - are to be given the opportunity to engage with professional learning and utilise the funding to deliver high quality teaching and learning.

What professional learning is available

There is a wide and varied professional learning offer available to support practitioners’ continued development in accordance with the professional standards for teaching, leadership and assisting teaching.

Further information on the current professional learning offer can be found on Hwb.