Staff CPD - It's just like driving lessons...

As we start thinking about the PE & School Sport funding allocation for the 2017/18 academic year, it’s a useful starting point to ask yourself the question – If the PE & School Sport funding stopped tomorrow, what would the impact be to our school?

Hundreds of thousands of pounds each year is invested in staff CPD. But is it really an investment? Are we seeing the rewards that we’d want to see on any other type of investment?

Many schools choose to support teachers with at least one hour a week of curriculum support. Coaches working with teachers to deliver an improved quality of lesson. That’s roughly 39 hours a week of support – the equivalent of 6 full days of training.

Think of CPD like driving lessons – If you had spent 39 hours with your driving instructor, would you expect to be able to pass your test? Lets not forget, in this analogy we already know how to drive – We just need to learn the rules of the road.

So you spend your hour a week with your driving instructor – You driving, the instructor teaching you the skills and techniques you need to be able to drive safely and competently without supervision.

Lets say you get to a full year of lessons and you’re still not ready to take your test. Would you carry on spending your money, or would you look to change instructors?

We’d probably all change instructors.

So why in the world of PE spending, would we happily continue with the same provision? Coaches coming into our school to work with our teachers, all in the name of CPD and personal development. Yet if we need to do that again in year 2, is it not fair to surmise that, in fact, the CPD hasn’t worked?

The following is an actual extract from a Primary PE & School Sport Funding document on a school website. It could be from one of any number of schools…

Hire qualified sports coaches to provide specialist teaching in a variety of sports for KS2 Pupils (one hour). The class teachers will deliver the other hour of PE lesson. Cost £4000

If we decipher that statement, what does it actually say?

Sports Coaches will come into school and work with the KS2 teachers to deliver a range of sports. The class teacher will learn from that and then deliver the other PE lesson that week. Are we assuming that the second hour of PE will be the same topic as the lesson the teacher observed? If so, each KS2 child will only complete 6 topics in the whole academic year?

More likely is that the teacher will observe the lesson and then deliver the second lesson that week on their own, in an unrelated topic to the lesson they have observed. Potentially they are working with a coach to deliver fantastic Tag Rugby sessions, and then delivering a Gymnastics lesson unsupported.

Similar to observing a History lesson and then delivering a French lesson.

Remember, coaches are not in school to help teachers with HOW to teach – Simply what to teach. So if we are observing what to teach in tennis, does that help the teachers when we then dance later in the week? Probably not.

And who is watching that second lesson? Who is helping the teacher ensure that they are comfortable in their delivery? Who is supporting that lesson to ensure their planning is at the right level for the year group? Who is supporting them understand how and what to assess?

Back to the driving analogy – It’s like having a driving lesson on Monday, then going out on your own on a motorbike on Thursday!

But the issue runs even deeper. On the 2015/16 document it reads:
Hire qualified sports coaches to provide specialist teaching in a variety of sports for KS2 Pupils (one hour). The class teachers will deliver the other hour of PE lesson. Cost £4000

On the 2014/15 document it reads:
Hire qualified sports coaches to provide specialist teaching in a variety of sports for KS2 Pupils (one hour). The class teachers will deliver the other hour of PE lesson. Cost £4000

Effective? Sustainable?

If you find yourself in a similar position where the answer to the original question regarding the funding is no – take a step back and think. Are we getting value for money here? Are we spending our money wisely to make this investment reap rewards for us in the long term?

There lies the answer. The PE & School Sport Premium funding shouldn’t be spent – It should be invested. Invested in a sustainable provision for your school, your teachers and your pupils.