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Introducing the GTC Networks.

Good teaching needs good networks and good networks need good teachers.

The GTC Networks provide support by linking teachers nationally and putting them in touch with the latest research and evidence. They let teachers have a voice at national debates on changes to education.

CPD and unattached teachers

Many unattached teachers, like teachers of the deaf, work in small teams because of the low incidence of their specialism.
Paul Simpson (The British Association of Teachers of the Deaf)

What is the effect of this?
Some unattached teachers feel that they have fewer opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) than teachers who are school-based. Paul Simpson suggests that as more funding is delegated to schools, there could be less available centrally for CPD.

Why should your school be interested?
Unattached teachers, sometimes called ‘peripatetic teachers’, offer schools particular expertise in very specialised areas, such as hearing or visual impairment, autism and music. Their input can make a real difference to your pupils with special educational needs, additional needs or those who are gifted. They also help to develop your school-based staff.

Perhaps you can play a part in enabling unattached staff to develop their skills and knowledge so that they can be even more effective in your schools.

What do unattached teachers need?
Like school-based staff, it is important for them to learn with and from other colleagues within and beyond their own field. Local, regional and national events, conferences and discussion opportunities help to give them a deeper and broader understanding of general pedagogical issues as well as advances in subject knowledge.

Unattached teachers might welcome:

networking opportunities with similar specialist teams both within their own local authorities and beyond them
being able to shadow colleagues
research opportunities, and
communications and support from their professional associations.

How can you help?
Schools that frequently use the services of unattached staff might wish to consider inviting them to relevant INSET days or other CPD opportunities. The cross-fertilisation of ideas and experience is likely to offer a richer mix to stimulate personal, school and team development.

Also, how about remembering to include your regular supply teachers, too?

If we can get all our systems to put children's needs first–and I believe we can–then we can have a district in which excitement and curiosity are everywhere: a district in which every child learns.
John Stanford

Do you know of any other support?
Please share with us any structures, strategies or good practice in your local authority, or support from other organisations that help unattached staff to access continuing professional development.

Email us at: connect@gtce.org.uk
(Please include the subject line: CPD and unattached teachers)

Useful websites

Systems thinking:
www.ncrel.org/engauge/framewk/sys/think/systhipr.htm

The British Association for Teachers of the Deaf:
www.batod.org.uk/

PAT’s concern:
www.pat.org.uk/index.cfm?param=policy/viewpolicy.cfm&id=125


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