Dr Bob Burstow, Visiting Research Fellow at King's College London, launched his new book Effective Teacher Development in the BFI Private Bar, Southbank, on 23 January 2018.  The book encourages readers to move beyond personal experience and gut feeling and use research and evidence to effectively develop CPD programmes within their school, partner schools, federations or school chains. Here is his account of the launch.

My imagined target audience for this book was the overworked school teacher, and it was therefore fitting that the evening was steered by Rob Allen, recently retired after a lifetime as a primary headteacher in North London schools that  ranged from special measures to outstanding (and in that order!). Rob shared my NQT years in the same school and ended his career as head of the primary school where I had been a pupil. I used him as my sounding board during the final drafting of the book.

Representatives from several other relevant organisations included James Noble-Rogers (CEO at Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers), Cat Scutt (Director of Education & Research at CCT Education), Concettina Johnson (Teacher Development Trust), Andy Yarrow (CEO at CfBT Schools Trust), Neil Marlow (Senior Schools Adviser at London Borough of Barnet)  - together with his equivalent colleague from Enfield. In all this eclectic mix provided a surprising source of previously unknown links – seven degrees of separation in practice.

There are a number of  potential positive outcomes from the evening. Notably the chief advisor for Enfield, was clear that she was aiming to have it adopted as the one book that she will buy this year for every headteacher in the borough. CCT have already decided to feature the  book on their website and to discount it to members. In the follow up to the evening, several attendees have contacted me with requests that I contact other colleagues (including the chief advisor for Essex and an executive at the Archer Academy chain)  with a view to marketing the book to their colleagues.

There does seem to be  contemporary, not to say timely, aspect to the launch date. Paragraph 64 of the DfE consultation document “Strengthening Qualified Teacher Status and improving career progression for teachers” (Dec 2017) states: “…more can and should be done to enable senior leaders to navigate the CPD market and make the informed decisions on what CPD will have the greatest impact on their staff and pupil outcomes.” It seems to me that my book provides a coherent and useful solution to that issue. 

I am very grateful to Meg Maguire (King's College London), Caroline Daly (UCL IOE) and Hazel Bryan (University of Gloucestershire) for the views they expressed in support of the book.

Effective Teacher Development: Theory and Practice in Professional Learning is published by Bloomsbury.