Professional learning, Recognition and Accreditation

Recognising and accrediting practitioners’ prior learning and experiences is a key priority for us at the Institute of Education. All our CPD activities build on practitioners’ existing skills, experience and/or qualification. This is because we value and recognise learning already undertaken by teachers and other education professionals in their workplaces. Our team of experienced CPD staff will support you to demonstrate and evidence what you have learned from participation in any professional development or activity in your place of work. Your evidence will then be used to gain accreditation and professional recognition through our robust Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedures.

For further details on how we can support you to gain credits via our RPL procedures, contact Tracey Edwards.

Delivering Bespoke CPD Training and Activities

We enhance the performance of individuals and organisations by identifying their training needs and developing bespoke courses to meet those needs. These could be accredited using our ‘shell’ modules, but we also deliver bespoke non-accredited CPD.  Our team will meet with you to discuss the needs of staff and the organisation as a whole.  This is to ensure that your engagement with our CPD activities must have a direct impact on professional performance and competence, and support individuals in ways which benefit the organisation for which they work.

Below are some examples of how our ‘shell’ modules have been used to support CPD work with school teachers

• Middle Leaders in Context (MLC): The overall aim of the MLC is to improve the leadership and management of schools and build leadership capacity. Teachers complete a school-based task which is aimed at bringing about a specific improvement in the school that demonstrates their leadership qualities and competencies.
• Lead Assessor Programme (LAP) : The overall aim of LAP is to support Lead Assessors and Moderators in schools to identify strategies for enhancing teaching and learning through effective systems in standardising and moderating teacher assessment judgements, thereby building leadership capacity that has the potential to contribute to school-to school support.  Participants will develop a critical understanding of theories, principles and concepts that underpin teacher assessment judgements
• Technology Enhanced Learning: This course is designed for teachers with an interest in e-learning or technology enhanced learning.  It is highly relevant for teachers responsible for e-learning in schools and provides hands-on experience of a range of learning technologies that supports teachers to explore the processes of designing, implementing and critiquing technology-enhanced learning.

Other Bespoke accredited and non-accredited courses can also be offered on:

• Performance Management
• New curriculum planning
• Use of data to analyse school results
• Action planning for professional development
• Career opportunities and links to professional standards
• Teaching and learning observations
• Classroom research and Development
• Subject-specific pedagogy
• Mastery
• Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
• Behaviour management
• Inclusive learning and teaching
• Coaching  and Mentoring

Accrediting Providers’ Continuing Professional Development and Training

The Institute of Education has a successful track record of providing support for both providers and participants who seek accreditation by ‘wrapping’ credits around their on-going professional training and development. We are currently working with a wide range of schools and other large providers in the region and beyond to accredit their CPD courses.

Ideally we work with course providers at the planning stage of their course in order to:

•    discuss the outcomes of the CPD activity;
•    advise on the assessment tasks;
•    agree the credit rating;
•    agree the accreditation costs;
•    advise on the integration of appropriate activities into the programme;
•    agree on if, how, and when, tutors from the Institute of Education will provide tutorial support for participants.

Robust support is offered to participants and CPD providers to ensure participants are successful in gaining agreed credits.