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Learning from the front
Already the UK's leading publisher of primary educational resources, Pearson (which includes well known brands such as Heinemann) are now fast growing an enviable reputation in providing flexible, effective, whole-school professional development.
A new approach to CPD
Working closely with Primary schools, Pearson's research showed that investing in quality resources wouldn't improve teaching and learning in isolation. Rather, results indicated that true development only occurred when there was an in-depth pedagogical understanding of learning programmes, as well as practical knowledge of how best to leverage the resources being used.
In response to these findings, Pearson decided to work with their most established experts to deliver high quality CPD courses with the same teams that developed some of the UK's best-loved primary programmes, including Heinemann Active Maths and Phonics Bug.
Acutely aware of the time and budgetary constraints placed on schools, Pearson developed a range of affordable weekly webinars, flexible INSET days and termly national conferences across three crucial and topical areas of focus - synthetic phonics, active maths and CfE, and raising attainment.
Getting every child reading by six
Among the experts associated with Pearson Professional Development are Professor Rhona Johnston and Dr Joyce Watson. At the forefront of studying the positive effect that synthetic phonics has on reading attainment, their respected Clackmannanshire Study has been hugely influential in the field of primary education. Their work on Pearson's Phonics Bug CPD courses aims to embed the most effective possible phonics approach across a school, with the ultimate goal of helping every child read by six.
Rhona Johnston said: "The big challenge for us is to persuade teachers not just to add in a little synthetic phonics teaching to what they do already, but to whole-heartedly adopt the approach, in order to get the long term benefits we found for children's reading and spelling skills in our study in Clackmannanshire."
Active maths and Curriculum for Excellence
Pearson have also developed professional development courses to help Scottish schools really get to grips with Curriculum for Excellence and deliver genuinely active maths teaching.
For this programme they've turned to Lynda Keith, Co-author and Series Editor of Heinemann Active Maths, and one of the brightest names in Scottish Primary education. Lynda is leading two national conferences as well as authoring twilight webinars and Active Maths INSET days.
In early 2012 she will also help deliver more Pearson CPD dedicated to quality maths experiences at Early Level.
Lynda said: "There are various resources available to us nowadays to teach CPD. Using the Internet for a webinar means I can reach out to people even while I'm at home. It's a different way of interacting with people but, just as with face-to-face learning, they need to be actively engaged or it doesn't work."
Raising attainment
Completing Pearson's impressive CPD offerings are their Raising Attainment courses, designed to help schools improve the progress of their struggling learners and children with SEN, and close the attainment gap across the whole school.
Dee Reid leads the programme as a respected independent literary consultant, and Series Editor of Rapid, Pearson's proven catch-up resources and software.
Dee said: "If children who are already behind are to catch up, they need to make double the usual rate of progress, otherwise they will still be far behind.
"Data shows that pupils using Rapid make significant progress, and where teachers have combined this with Rapid Professional Development, the progress is in excess of double the expected rate - they are really closing the attainment gap and catching up with their peers."
For dates and bookings or to find out more about Pearson's professional development programmes and experts, visit www.pearsonprimary.co.uk/cpdscotland