Monitoring

It is important to ensure that, as training and development activities are embarked upon, some form of monitoring is undertaken. The main reasons for this are:

• To measure the impact of training on teaching and learning.
• To ensure that the training activities being undertaken reflect those that have been identified in training plans at all levels of the school.
• As a means of measuring progress against whole school strategic plans and targets.
• To check that resources that have been ring-fenced for training and development, and that activities have been properly and accurately selected.
• To monitor, at regular intervals, the use of resources against the initial allocation.
• To allow senior managers, heads of department and team leaders the opportunity to regulate how and when staff undertake their training and development activities.
• To provide individuals with a record of their professional development activities.

In order to have an effective system of monitoring, there needs to be certain elements in place:

• A good flow of information between line managers, individuals and the person responsible for coordinating training and development activities. (See the Leading Training section in this module.)
• An effective method of authorising and regulating training and development activities.
• A reliable storage system such as a database on which to record the activities and the resources being used.
• Links to other systems in the school, such as cover, that may be affected by staff attending training and development events.

Whilst the catalyst for attending training and development activities will tend to stem from the training plans that have been agreed, actual requests for training and development have to be managed. Managers need to control when and how their staff attend these types of activities, and must agree that the activity does respond to individual as well as whole school and departmental priorities. The diagram below shows the mix that needs to be considered in order to achieve the right balance in this process:

 The Training Need 'Mix'

Many schools will require individual staff to 'request' attendance on a training and development activity. In smaller schools, this may be as little as seeking verbal approval from those who are responsible for authorising the training; in larger schools, there may be the need for a more systematic approach.

Regardless of school size, as the reasons given at the beginning of this module suggest, the more rigorous the process of monitoring these activities, the more likely that they will contribute to whole school, departmental and individual successes.

Such a systematic process might start with a training request form. This form would provide details of the activity to be undertaken and the resource implications, and would ensure that those who need to be involved authorise the request accordingly. Best practice would suggest that initially the line manager and individual would discuss the activity. Remember, it is not always the individual that will be seeking a training opportunity; line managers may need to coax an individual into attending a particular course or activity.

A sample continuing professional development and training request form is given here:

 Training Request Form

Once the appropriate approval has been sought, it is wise from an administrative point of view to keep a central record. Monitoring information in this way will provide the organisation with the ability to view the big picture on training progress and needs, and to provide individual staff with a CPDT (continuing professional development and training) record.

A suggested list of useful reports from a training database is provided for your reference:

 Useful Training Reports