Wellacre Achieves Gold Award for Professional Development

Posted at 12:56 pm on 12th November, 2019

Teacher Development Trust Recognition

Wellacre has achieved a Gold Award for effective staff CPD (Continuous Staff Development) from the Teacher Development Trust (TDT.)

The Gold Award status recognises Wellacre’s focus on professional development, which not only boosts staff performance, retention, morale and recruitment, but also has a strong impact on student outcomes.

Principal, Miss Wicks, said:

“I am delighted to share the news of Wellacre’s Gold Award for CPD, which recognises the extensive work staff do in undertaking training and development not only for personal and professional gain, but for the benefit of the school and our students.”

Wellacre has used the TDT’s audit tool to further help develop the school by continually improving the effectiveness of staff professional development. As well as following a CPD quality framework, Wellacre was also visited by an external advisor and assessor from the TDT team who conducted a rigorous assessment visit at the end of September. 

One of the most positive developments in the past two years, since achieving the silver award, is the greater focus on using academic research to improve pupil outcomes.  Wellacre’s new Action Research projects are successfully driving this forward, as well as promoting a very strong culture of evaluative practice amongst teaching and support staff.

Other key areas of strength were highlighted, including:

*  Leaders' dedication to developing staff through their careers, sending a strong message to colleagues which then serves to help them feel valued;

*  The positive impact of the coaching programme, both on individuals and the wider learning culture at Wellacre; and

*  The "outward looking" school practice, which sees Wellacre work hard to broker relationships with external experts or other schools to support staff development.