Securing sustainable teacher development through an embedded, weekly professional learning program

Scott Nevett, Assistant Headteacher, Southfield School for Girls, UK While the majority of research into teacher professional learning is concerned with the practicalities of processes and structure, it is increasingly clear that successful programmes need to be cognisant of the idea that ‘the context or conditions for professional development are at least as important to consider as the content and process’ (Weston et al., 2021, p. 4). The move from a professional learning model focused on initiatives and implementation to one of building culture, habits and effective teams is one that all schools owe to their staff. A cultural shift At Southfield we approach professional learning with the belief that all teachers have the right to high-quality training and development, which also encourages self-efficacy and is considerate of workload. We also know that this is most effective when sustained ‘over a period of time… ensuring that it features multiple, iterative activities fo