No More Off-the-Shelf CPD: Building Sustainable Growth Through Project-Based Collaboration (Festival of Education 2026)

We’ve all endured the three-hour, off-the-shelf CPD session where “expert advice” seemingly has little relevance to our own practice. This session explores a different approach to CPD, showing how collaborative, research-informed professional learning can genuinely empower teachers. In understanding what educators really need, rather than imposing pre-set solutions, we can support sustainable, meaningful development of teaching practice. Drawing on project-based initiatives and practice-focused research we show how inquiry, collaboration, and reflection build teacher agency, enhance practice, and embed lasting improvement, turning CPD from a one-off event into an ongoing culture of growth.

This session is research-informed, practice-relevant, and universally applicable across all levels of education. It draws on the presenter’s own published literature and award-winning, project-based initiatives. Attendees will hear the voices of practitioners who have participated in and benefited from these initiatives, passing on insights to new colleagues. CPD can be different: we can be conscious of teachers’ needs and kinder in how we support professional growth, whilst still achieving meaningful development, strengthening practice, and improving student outcomes.