Continuing Professional Development

CPD At Ormiston Victory Academy

At Victory we offer a wide range of CPD opportunities. On this website you will find information about how CPD works and all the different CPD routes available. As you navigate through the different pages, if you find something you might be interested in complete the registering CPD form and if appropriate, book on to the session you wish to attend.

At Victory, we believe that the best way to ensure exceptional learning for every child is to invest in the continual development of our teachers. Our CPD programme is carefully designed to ensure collaboration, choice, and innovation through an evidenced based approach. With Tuning Cycles, Guided CPD, Tailored Training, and opportunities to observe and share best practice, our staff continually refine their skills and learn from one another. Coaching underpins every aspect, ensuring that improvements are sustained and grounded in the realities of the classroom. This means our pupils benefit from a consistent approach across the school, informed by the latest evidence, shaped by shared expertise, and responsive to their needs.

Three times per academic year, we deliver whole-school Tuning Cycles focused on agreed routines and priorities. These ensure alignment of practice across the academy and strengthen our shared professional standards.

  • Staff conduct structured peer observations using pre-determined criteria.
  • Feedback is provided in a constructive, developmental format.
  • A second round of observations enables progress to be reviewed and refinements embedded.

Staff select from a curated menu of CPD sessions tailored to address a range of developmental needs and professional interests.

  • Sessions are delivered in small groups and may include carousel-style activities.
  • Each session is themed, for example SEND, ensuring focused and purposeful engagement.

Optional, targeted CPD is provided to address specific priorities or specialist areas.

  • Examples include middle leadership training or subject-specific pedagogy.
  • Content is responsive to identified needs within the school community, ensuring high relevance and impact.

Once a year, teachers sign up to observe colleagues during Open Classroom Week. This is a chance to venture into pedagogy not explored previously and share in a love of learning.

  • Observations foster the exchange of ideas and highlight effective strategies.
  • This culture of openness encourages reflection, collaboration, and innovation.

Every fortnight, our Teaching and Learning briefing features examples of effective practice observed across the academy.

  • All resources are shared via a centralised resource hub accessible to all staff.
  • Resources are presented in a non-contextualised format, allowing teachers to adapt them to their own teaching contexts.

Coaching underpins every element of our CPD programme. This ensures that professional learning is:

  • Sustained over time.
  • Rooted in reflective practice.
  • Directly connected to the realities of teaching and learning.

Department meetings take place on a regular basis. The main focus of department meetings is collaborative planning. As part of these meetings there is clear CPD focus aimed at developing subject knowledge and improving and developing the curriculum. CLs are encouraged to give time in meetings to discuss latest developments within their subject and provide subject specific CPD. All department meetings will have a clear agenda shared with staff in advance.  Within these meetings each half term there will be opportunities for:

  • Moderation of work at KS3,4 and 5
  • Pedagogical training to develop the teaching of key principles
  • Curriculum review of lessons that half term

Subject knowledge is at the heart of what we do as teachers, but often the most difficult to keep up with. Many teachers find it exceedingly difficult to keep up with the latest developments in their subjects, and to find time to further their knowledge of curriculum development across the different key stages.
In acknowledgement of this, we make subject knowledge CPD a key part of our department meetings as already mentioned.
There are many opportunities to access subject knowledge CPD beyond your department meetings. You are encouraged to take advantage of external opportunities hosted by OAT (Ormiston Academies Trust) and others related to subject knowledge. This may include network and national meetings, as well as sessions run by regional leaders.
You are also encouraged to attend courses run by exam boards regarding exam feedback and marking. We highly recommend that teachers new to the profession or new to a course sign up to be exam markers, and this is an option as part of your bespoke CPD.

Please click here to access the OAT Professional Development site.