Research School Network: CPD to Classroom Consistency CPD to Classroom Consistency

One of the biggest ongoing challenges in my role has been making sure professional development actually sticks, that it shows up in classrooms consistently, not just in the session itself.

Like most schools, we haven’t been short on CPD. We’ve had a strong and impactful offer in place for years. It’s been thought through, rooted in evidence, and continually developed. But as with any school, the real test is what happens over time. Some things embed quickly. Others take longer.

What’s become clearer over time is that impact doesn’t just come from the quality of the CPD itself, it comes from how well it is implemented. The EEF’s A School’s Guide to Implementation Guidance Report captures this well: it’s not just what you do, but how you do it. That idea has increasingly shaped how we approach and refine our work.

Doing Less, Properly

One of the key messages from the implementation guidance is the importance of focus. Schools can often be working on a number of priorities at once, questioning, feedback, behaviour routines, independent practice- all of which are valid and important. However, the evidence suggests that sustained impact is more likely when a small number of priorities are given time and attention to embed.

This also links closely to the EEF’s Effective Professional Development guidance around managing cognitive load. Just as we think carefully about what we ask students to take on, the same applies to teachers. When too many changes are introduced at once, it becomes harder for new practices to be understood, applied, and sustained.

At MCA, this has meant being deliberate about identifying one or two key areas, maintaining a clear focus on them over time, and revisiting them regularly so that they have the chance to become embedded and part of everyday classroom practice.

A good example of this is our current work around independent practice, particularly how teachers circulate and support pupils. This has been an area of focus throughout the year, and its impact has been strong due to being clearly prioritised and sustained.

Being Clearer About What We Mean

Another important aspect of effective professional development is precision. Broad ideas such as ​‘circulate more’ or ​‘promote independence’ are useful starting points, but on their own they are open to interpretation. The professional development guidance highlights the importance of clarity around what practice should look like.

In practical terms, this means being explicit about what teachers are doing in the moment. How they move around the room, where they focus their attention, and when they choose to intervene. It also means being clear about what they are looking for in pupils’ work or behaviour, such as misconceptions, hesitation, or confidence. Finally, it involves setting clear expectations for how students should respond, including the level of independence, the strategies they use before seeking help, and the kind of thinking we want them to articulate.

Alongside this, the professional guidance guidance report emphasises key mechanisms, particularly modelling, rehearsal, and feedback, as key to changing practice. These are not just add ons to CPD, but the elements that make it more likely that teachers will translate ideas into action. Modelling helps make expectations clear and concrete, rehearsal gives staff the chance to practise and refine new approaches, and feedback supports ongoing improvement over time. Together, they help bridge the gap between understanding a strategy and using it consistently in the classroom.

To support this, we ensure that CPD includes clear modelling of what practice looks like in context, opportunities for staff to rehearse key elements, and structured feedback over time to support refinement. This helps move beyond simply explaining ideas and instead supports consistent application in the classroom.

Not Moving On Too Quickly

The implementation guidance also highlights the importance of sustaining change over time.

Rather than moving quickly from one focus to the next, effective implementation involves monitoring, revisiting, and adapting practice as it develops. In our approach, this means returning to key priorities each half term in department CPD time, reinforcing them through peer coaching and professional feedback discussions, and what we see in classrooms as part of QA processes to shape the next steps. This is what gives it a chance to move beyond an initial focus and become something that is seen consistently in classrooms.

Building, Rather Than Replacing

A further strategy that has been helpful for us is thinking about improvement as building on what is already in place. Once a particular aspect of practice becomes more consistent, the focus can shift to refining and strengthening it, rather than introducing something entirely new. For example, as approaches to independent practice become more established, attention can then turn to the quality of interaction during that time for example how teachers question, prompt, and support students. This idea of ​‘habit stacking’ aligns with the professional development guidance, which emphasises that practice should be developed and embedded over time.

Still a Work in Progress

As with any aspect of school development, this is ongoing. Our approach to CPD is complete, it continues to evolve. The implementation guidance describes this as a process of ongoing learning, and that reflects our experience. There is no fixed endpoint, only continual refinement.

Conclusion

Professional development has always been a priority. What has become clearer over time is that its impact depends on how well it is embedded. The key isn’t necessarily doing more.

It’s being precise, maintaining focus, and allowing time for practice to become routine. And that is where the difference is made in classrooms.

References:

https://educationendowmentfoun…
https://educationendowmentfoun…