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Stefan Allsebrook, Online Training Consultant

I recently delivered a webinar focused on Compliance and CPD Training for Staff as an exclusive for International Schools. Given the response to these webinars, I wanted to distil some of the content so that it can be more widely shared.

Staying ahead of the competition 

For any organisation, staff training impacts on success, on so many levels. Good training leads to staff that are competent and feel valued, which in turn enhances the culture of the organisation and raises the bar in terms of quality and output.

For International Schools, the challenges to delivering impactful staff training are clear. Limited budgets, a lack of time (we all know how perpetually busy teachers are!) and the logistical issues around making the training happen (shipping teachers out, shipping trainers in, finding cover for absent teachers…) can all make training an unwelcome overhead. However, these days for an International School, a strong culture of CPD is not a “nice to have”. It is a necessity, helping the school to stay ahead in what is an increasingly competitive landscape. 
 

The impact of a strong training culture on Staff Recruitment and Retention

The COBIS Teacher Supply Report 2020 gave some powerful insights into the Recruitment and Retention of teachers in International Schools. 

Enhanced CPD opportunities were seen as vital to attracting and retaining good staff, while a lack of CPD opportunity was shown to be one of the main reasons for teachers leaving. We know that a school with a low staff turnover is attractive to parents; that the culture is stronger in schools with higher staff retention; and those standards and outcomes improve when good staff are retained and the best staff recruited. This means that there is a direct link between CPD and a school’s performance as well as the perceived value to parents. 

How good training helps build a positive school culture 

A strong culture of staff CPD impacts on the culture and quality of a school. In schools where there is a commitment to staff development, teacher motivation is high, staff feel empowered and they demonstrate high levels of mastery and competence – not only within their academic discipline, but as rounded professionals. This leads to a rich school environment, that supports academic rigour as well as pastoral engagement. Ultimately, CPD promotes a culture of learning and collaboration throughout a school and supports wellbeing in pupils and staff.
 

The benefits of compliance training

To satisfy both legal requirements and standards, schools need to demonstrate compliance. From Health & Safety, through to Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment, Data Protection and a hundred other areas, it is necessary to train staff to ensure the school’s compliance. Demonstrating compliance is crucial for a school’s reputation and survival – and adds to a parent’s reassurance when it comes to sending their child to your school.
 

The impact of training on academic, pastoral and community outcomes  

Parents measure the value of a school by the evidence of its success. Ultimately, this is about the whole picture – how safe the school is, how happy the students are, how well they do in their exams and how likely they are to go onto successful endeavours after leaving the school. The overall success of the school, based on these metrics, is in the hands of its staff. The better trained they are, the more successful the school will be. 
 

Blending digital and face-to-face training for outstanding outcomes 

Frog works with schools around the world, supporting them in driving forward success – for both staff and students. Frog’s Professional Development Platform allows schools to deliver a blended learning programme inhouse, that helps ensure compliance while giving staff a rich variety of CPD opportunities, that fit alongside busy schedules.