AIMÉE TINKLER, PRESIDENT, CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING; DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, ODYSSEY COLLABORATIVE TRUST, UK
RICHARD JACKSON, PROGRAMME LEAD, FLOURISHING LEADERS AND NPQSMALL, UK
Professional development is widely understood to be a key driver for strengthening teaching practice, supporting career progression and improving student outcomes (Fletcher-Wood and Zuccollo, 2020). We now have a wealth of research identifying what makes professional development effective and how it can deliver the greatest impact. However, for small schools where staff teams are often very small, implementing the perfect programme can feel unattainable. Despite these constraints, teachers in small schools deserve an equitable professional development offer that draws as much as possible on what we know works, while remaining realistic and achievable for their context. This is particularly important for educators who may often feel overlooked in national professional development design.
Drawing on research evidence, insights from small school leaders and evaluations of two recent initiatives, this article offers practical considerations for professional development providers and senior leaders when designing and selecting professional development for small schools. Recent efforts to address these challenges have begun to reshape how PD (professional development) is conceptualised and delivered for small school contexts. Drawing on research into educational isolation (Ovenden-Hope, 2019), teacher agency (Wagner et al., 2019) and the characteristics of effective PD (Sims and Fletcher-Wood, 2021; McChesney and Aldridge, 2019), new models are emerging that prioritise relevance, accessibility and sustainability.
Two such initiatives are the Great Big Small Schools INSET Day and Network, hosted by the Chartered College of Teaching and the Church of England National Society for Education (NSE), and the NPQSmall route, also offered by the NSE. The success of these initiatives offers valuable insights into how PD can be tailored to better serve educators in small schools.
Understanding the small school context
Small schools are widely recognised for making vital contributions to the pupils and the close-knit communities that they serve through strong relationships and tailored, high-quality learning experiences. However, small school educators frequently encounter structural barriers that restrict engagement with high-quality PD, contributing to broader inequities in professional learning and educational outcomes. These range from the leadership demands of holding a diverse range of responsibilities and the challenge of teaching several year groups within a single class, while fulfilling pastoral as well as senior leadership roles, to systemic factors such as financial and resource constraints (NAHT, 2023).
Teachers in small schools who do have the opportunity to engage with professional development often report that it is designed with larger schools in mind. This can include examples drawn from large settings or expectations of collaboration within sizeable teams (Tinkler, 2025). As McChesney and Aldridge (2019) argue, professional learning is most effective when it is relevant to the specific context in which teachers work. When training is generic and fails to reflect the complexity of small school roles, it risks being inaccessible or irrelevant. Such misalignment not only limits the impact but also deepens existing inequalities in professional learning opportunities.
These difficulties are further exaggerated by geographic isolation. For rural schools, the nearest training providers or peer networks may be many miles away, with travel time and costs acting as substantial barriers. Ovenden-Hope (2019) calls this challenge ‘educational isolation’, a condition that not only restricts access to professional development but also impacts teachers’ sense of professional identity and agency. In the absence of collaborative opportunities, educators can feel cut off from wider educational discussions.
Despite these challenges, colleagues with first-hand experience of working in small schools have sought to address some of these longstanding barriers through two innovative initiatives: the Great Big Small Schools INSET Day and Network, a Chartered College and NSE collaboration, and the NPQSmall route offered by the NSE. This targeted provision reimagines professional development by directly tackling the unique needs and constraints of educators in small schools.
Insights from practice
The Great Big Small Schools INSET Day and Network
Drawing on the research of Sims and colleagues (Sims and Fletcher-Wood, 2021; Sims et al., 2023), which highlights the importance of professional development being relevant, collaborative and sustained, the Great Big Small Schools INSET Day was designed to put these principles into practice. The initiative brought together educators from small schools across England for a shared day of professional learning, delivered entirely online to remove geographical and logistical barriers. The event prioritised context-specific workshops, led by leading thinkers and experienced small school practitioners who understood the nuances of their audience. For example, Mary Myatt explored the complexities of designing a curriculum for schools with multi-age classes, addressing the practical challenges and opportunities that this presents. Participants also had the opportunity to engage directly with Becky Francis, contributing their insights into the complexities of curriculum in small schools to inform the National Curriculum review. In addition, peer-led sessions reflected real-world challenges and solutions within small school contexts. The accompanying Small Schools Network extends these benefits by fostering ongoing support and professional connections that encourage reflection and practice. More recently, the network has amplified small school voices on the national stage, including within consultations on inspection reforms.
Participant evaluations showed that those who attended expressed a renewed sense of validation and professional belonging, attributing these outcomes to the digital accessibility and the direct relevance of the learning experiences, which were tailored to their individual contexts.
NPQSmall route
National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) have made a notable impact on the professional development landscape in England, and the availability of funded places significantly widened participation. According to the Department for Education’s ‘Emerging findings from the NPQ evaluation: Interim report’ (DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England, 2023), educators report enhanced confidence and strategic thinking as a result of their NPQ experience, with growing recognition of the way in which NPQs have supported leadership capability, career progression and school improvement. However, the report also highlights persistent barriers to accessing and benefiting fully from standard NPQ pathways, particularly for colleagues in small schools. Many of these barriers are similar to those described already – most notably limited staffing, workload pressures and a lack of contextual fit.
To address these challenges, the NSE collaborated with colleagues from small schools to understand their needs when designing the NPQSmall route. Flexible scheduling, online delivery and content tailored to the realities of small school leadership, such as case studies drawn from similar contexts, helped to remove the structural and logistical barriers that previously excluded these educators. Decisions around online delivery and session scheduling required careful consideration of their benefits and limitations, as well as their effectiveness in reducing barriers. While fully online delivery is not a perfect solution, in this context it enabled access and collaboration that would otherwise have been impossible, making high-quality CPD (continuing professional development) available to all. Evaluation data and qualitative feedback from DfE focus groups show that participants valued opportunities to connect with peers in similar settings nationwide, sharing strategies to tackle the unique challenges of leading small schools. Many reported feeling more confident and professionally connected, highlighting the importance of online coaching and networking in fostering collaboration that would have been difficult otherwise. This demonstrates how adapting professional development to context can create inclusive, empowering learning environments – particularly for educators working in complex, resource-limited settings.
These two initiatives demonstrate how thoughtful, context-aware design can begin to dismantle the barriers that have previously excluded small school educators from impactful professional development. These initiatives offer valuable lessons, not only in what works for evidence-informed PD, but also in what must be considered when designing equitable PD for small schools. The success of these initiatives highlights a set of emerging considerations for colleagues and organisations seeking to design professional development that is responsive to the realities of small school contexts.
Key considerations when designing professional development for small schools
1. Prioritise contextual relevance
Effective PD must reflect the lived realities of small school educators, who often hold multiple roles and work in resource-constrained environments. Tinkler (2025) highlights the importance of recognising both the unique contributions and challenges of small schools. Involving small-school educators in co-design and tailoring content, such as using real examples from small schools, ensures authenticity and immediate applicability.
2. Ensure accessibility through flexible and digital delivery
Geographic isolation and staffing constraints make traditional PD formats difficult for small schools to access. Richter and Richter (2024) emphasise that accessibility must consider usability and adaptability. Offering asynchronous and on-demand options, designing content for low-bandwidth environments and providing downloadable resources can help to overcome logistical barriers and support participation.
3. Build and sustain professional networks
Isolation is a major barrier to professional growth in small schools. Wagner et al. (2019) show that teacher agency is strengthened when educators feel part of a professional community. We know from the Education Endowment Foundation’s ‘Guidance report on effective professional development’ that social support can be an important factor as part of effective professional development (EEF, 2021). Creating virtual communities of practice, facilitating peer mentoring and encouraging cross-school collaboration, as described in these initiatives, can foster a sense of connection, support retention and enhance reflective practice, thereby sustaining improvement over time.
4. Celebrate and elevate small school expertise
Small school educators often feel overlooked in national education discourse. Sims et al. (2023) highlight the importance of recognising teacher expertise to foster motivation and retention. Featuring small school voices in PD delivery, showcasing success stories and advocating for representation in policy can affirm professional identity and promote equity.
Conclusion
Professional development must be reimagined through an equity lens to ensure that all educators can grow professionally, regardless of school size or location, and for the barriers to PD in small schools to be dismantled. The Great Big Small Schools INSET Day and NPQSmall route demonstrate that, with thoughtful evidence and context-informed design, national collaboration and digital innovation, we can design professional learning that is inclusive, empowering and transformative.
When every teacher has the opportunity to flourish, every student benefits and the education system becomes stronger, more equitable and more resilient as a result.
