Continuing professional development for special educational needs and disabilities within the school workforce: The results of a national survey in England

Abstract

Continuing professional development (CPD) is considered an important part of improving professional practice and its importance has been highlighted in Department of Education policies in England. However, very little research has explored what CPD school staff access and consider as effective for their roles. This research addressed this gap by conducting an online survey of child-facing school staff in England. The survey was completed by 637 participants. The results indicate that there is a mismatch between what the staff consider as impactful CPD and the CPD to which they have most access. School leaders and SENCos are key people in delivering CPD in schools, and the findings of this study show that it is important to provide them with appropriate skills and knowledge to ensure that the most accessible CPD is also the most effective for the school workforce.