Member Article

Yorkshire’s Largest Education Group Kickstarts CPD Development Programme To Improve Teaching & Learning for 30,000 Students

Students of Luminate Education Group will soon benefit from a greater quality of teaching as two key staff members embark on a new programme focused on CPD (Continuing Professional Development) delivery.

Nicola Widnall and Natasha Armitage-Evans, who lead on CPD delivery for the group, have been accepted onto the six-month intensive ‘Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership’ programme.

As well as involving extensive training and study, the programme will enable the group’s CPD leads to create a robust CPD plan for the new academic year in September 2021 and align this with current research, DfE (Department for Education) standards and international best practice.

The programme is delivered by leading education charity the Teacher Development Trust (TDT), which helps schools & colleges improve their professional development and is known for advising the DfE on teacher professional development.

TDT Founder and CEO, David Weston, who Chairs the DfE’s Teacher Professional Development Expert Group, will be teaching the CPD Leadership programme along with education specialist and Training Programme Leader Bethan Hindley.

The transformative programme covers many aspects including how to implement and influence school culture, raise teacher morale and improve outcomes for students, especially disadvantaged and vulnerable students.

Natasha Armitage-Evans, Head of Teaching, Learning and Assessment across the group’s FE colleges commented:

“We are really excited to start this programme especially as we are deeply passionate about CPD, whilst also pursuing further development through our own professional learning. The opportunity to work with colleagues from across the world as part of this course will be beneficial in enhancing and refining our current CPD offer and in providing the very best opportunities for our amazing colleagues across the Group.”

Nicola Widnall, Vice Principal for the White Rose Academies Trust, commented:

“We have worked for some time to truly understand and develop our group-wide CPD context and growing professional learning offer – we are totally committed to increasing collaborative professional learning opportunities across the Group and are ambitious for what comes next. As such, we are delighted to be able to take our ideas and CPD designs to the next level, through our work with the TDT and colleagues from international contexts.”

Andrew Whitaker, Deputy CEO – Teaching and Learning, Luminate Education Group and CEO of the White Rose Academies Trust, commented:

“This is an incredibly exciting prospect and to be able to provide the highest quality professional development for our staff is vital in enabling us to provide the best possible chances for our students.

“This will be a transformative journey, not just for both Nicola and Natasha, but for all of our staff and students. This programme is one of many steppingstones that has enabled us to reach a little closer to the future vision we have for teaching and learning within the Luminate Education Group.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Luminate - Teaching & Learning .