Leadership for learning: The changing culture of professional development in schools

There is evidence of growing tensions in the increasingly privatised system of in‐service education and training (INSET) within England and Wales, especially between school‐managed institutional development, group development needs, and the need for individual professional development. These tensions highlight the need for an effective ‘professional development culture’ with the kind of leadership which supports both pupil and staff learning. INSET privatisation and increasing local accountability also raises questions about why and how some schools are better at creating appropriate development cultures. The article explores school leadership in the newly privatised and marketised professional development environment; it considers a model which helps to identify key elements in a “professional development culture” and helps schools review “where we’re at”; it examines the emerging role of the professional development co‐ordinator as a “delegated leader” and suggests a possible model for exploring the differing nature of the relationship between CPD leadership and staff commitment.