Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Policy

Info

Status: live (signed off 16 August 2026) · Version: 08.26 · Last reviewed: 2026-08-16 · Next review: 2027-08-16 Owner: Head · Approved by: Proprietor

1. Purpose

This policy sets out how The Haven plans, provides, records and evaluates the continuing professional development of its staff. It exists so that every member of staff keeps the statutory training their role requires up to date, keeps growing in the specialist practice The Haven’s learners depend on, and has a fair and transparent route to development that serves their own professional life as well as the provision.

The Haven’s learners are neurodivergent young people, many of whom have experienced harm in mainstream education. Working well with this cohort is skilled, specialist work — trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, relational and online. That practice is not learned once at induction; it is developed continuously. CPD at The Haven is therefore treated as core professional work, not an optional extra.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all staff, including sessional educators and mentors. Proportionate elements apply to volunteers, governors and longer-term contractors, whose statutory training requirements are set out in the Staff Induction Policy and this policy.

CPD at The Haven includes statutory and mandatory training, role-specific development, whole-team development, and individually chosen professional learning. Induction is covered by the Staff Induction Policy; this policy governs everything after it.

3. Principles

• CPD is an entitlement and an expectation. Every staff member has both a right to development and a responsibility to keep their practice current.
• Statutory training is non-negotiable and always takes priority.
• CPD is planned from evidence: quality assurance findings, learner outcomes, appraisal and supervision, and the Development Plan.
• CPD reflects The Haven’s context. Development in neuro-affirming, trauma-informed and online practice is weighted at least as heavily as subject knowledge.
• CPD is accessible. Most staff work remotely and many are themselves neurodivergent; CPD is offered in formats and at a pace that work for the people doing it, with adjustments made as readily for staff as they are for learners.
• CPD is evaluated by its effect on practice and on learners, not by hours logged.

4. Statutory and mandatory training

All staff complete, and keep current:

• Safeguarding training, including reading and confirming KCSIE Part 1 (and Annex A where the role requires it) annually, whole-staff safeguarding updates during the year, and the safeguarding induction set out in the Staff Induction Policy. The Designated Safeguarding Lead and any deputies complete DSL training updated at least every two years, with knowledge refreshed at regular intervals in between.
• Prevent duty training, refreshed in line with current guidance.
• Online safety training, reflecting The Haven’s fully online context, including filtering and monitoring awareness appropriate to role.
• Data protection training (UK GDPR essentials), refreshed annually.
• First aid training to the level their role requires, as set out in the First Aid Training Policy.
• Any training required by a specific role — for example safer recruitment training for those involved in recruitment, or exam-related training for invigilation.

The Head maintains oversight of statutory training compliance, and completion is recorded in the training register.

5. Role-specific and developmental CPD

Beyond statutory training, CPD is planned around three strands:

• Specialist practice: neurodivergence and autism-informed practice, trauma-informed and relational approaches, PDA-aware practice, supporting anxiety and emotionally based school non-attendance, SEND and EHCP literacy, and the craft of teaching and mentoring well online.
• Subject and curriculum: subject knowledge development, curriculum design, assessment and examination requirements, adaptive teaching, and stretch and challenge.
• Professional growth: qualifications, accreditation, leadership development, coaching, and development the staff member seeks for their own professional path.

Each staff member agrees CPD priorities with their line manager through appraisal and supervision, recorded in a simple individual development plan and revisited at least termly.

6. Planning the CPD cycle

The Head plans the annual CPD cycle from four sources: statutory requirements and their renewal dates; findings from quality assurance and lesson visits; priorities in the Development Plan; and themes emerging from appraisal, supervision and staff feedback. The cycle is shared with staff at the start of the year and adjusted as needs emerge — a rigid annual plan is less important than training arriving when it is needed.

7. Access, time and funding

• CPD is provided in accessible formats: live online sessions are recorded or summarised where appropriate, asynchronous options are offered where they serve the purpose, and reasonable adjustments to format, pacing and participation are made without ceremony.
• Statutory and mandated training happens in paid time.
• Requests for external CPD (courses, conferences, qualifications) are made to the Head, who considers relevance to role and to The Haven’s priorities, cost, and fairness of access across the team. Where The Haven funds significant external training, any conditions are agreed in writing beforehand.
• Sessional staff are included in whole-team CPD and statutory training, with arrangements that respect their contracted commitments.

8. Recording and evaluating CPD

The Head maintains the CPD and training register, which records statutory training and renewal dates, CPD undertaken, and certificates where issued. Staff keep their own records of professional learning and bring them to appraisal.

Evaluation asks a simple question: what changed in practice? CPD is followed up in supervision and appraisal, and significant whole-team CPD is evaluated for its effect on practice and, where visible, on learner experience and outcomes. Evaluation findings feed the next cycle.

9. Monitoring and governance

The Head reports to the proprietor and governing body annually on statutory training compliance, the CPD undertaken across the team, and its evaluated impact. Gaps in statutory training are treated as a compliance matter and closed promptly.

10. Roles and responsibilities

• Head: owns this policy; plans the CPD cycle; approves external CPD; maintains the training register; reports to the proprietor and governing body.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead: leads safeguarding CPD and advises on safeguarding training needs across the team.
• Health and Safety Lead: oversees first aid training in line with the First Aid Training Policy.
• Line managers: agree and review individual development plans; follow up CPD in supervision and appraisal.
• All staff: complete statutory training on time; engage with CPD; record their learning; bring development needs forward honestly.

11. Related documents

• Staff Induction Policy
• First Aid Training Policy
• Quality Assurance Policy
• Quality Management Framework
• Teaching & Learning Policy
• Development Plan
• Staff Conduct Policy
• Safer Recruitment and Use of Volunteers Policy

12. Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the Head and approved by the Proprietor.

Document version	08.26
Date issued	August 2026
Next review	August 2027
Document owner	Head
Approved by	Proprietor