Professional standards for teachers

‘All teachers are expected to continue to develop professionally within their current career stage.’

Professional standards for teachers (Draft), DfES, May 2006

In May 2006, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) issued a draft of some revised professional standards for teachers. These can be downloaded from the following link:

	TDA: Professional standards for teachers

Although still open to consultation, the aim is that they define the characteristics of teachers at every career stage. They should be seen as a framework to underpin discussions about performance, because they define the attributes, knowledge, understanding and skills for teachers throughout their time in school.

All teachers will need evidence to demonstrate that they are meeting the appropriate part of the revised professional standards for teachers, and that they are progressing in relation to them. A CPD portfolio is an ideal place to keep this evidence. This section looks at what managers need to know about the revised professional standards for teachers in order to help teachers collate and use their CPD portfolio.