The Guardians – Staff Writer
“The teaching recruitment and retention crisis shows no signs of abating, with unions warning that losses will soon be unsustainable. Yet when it comes to investing in and developing our teachers, we’re not doing nearly enough. There are 300,000 pupils studying in schools where their teachers have no or very little budget for continuing professional development (CPD), according to a recent analysis of figures by the Teacher Development Trust. There is huge variation in investment from region to region, with spending per teacher three times higher in Newham, east London, and Hampshire than it is in Solihull in the West Midlands. Research shows that quality professional development plays a fundamental role in successful schools: improving outcomes for pupils and teacher recruitment and retention. So why are some schools allocating more than £1,200 a teacher while others are averaging less than £400?” (more)