A vision for the future of professional development

About this report

Great teaching is the most effective way to improve pupil attainment. But it's not possible without high quality, evidence-based professional development that helps teachers to keep getting better. Access to high quality professional development is also proven to boost job satisfaction and teacher retention.

This report from Ambition Institute and IPPR aims to show how empowering teachers and school leaders with the skills and knowledge they need can drive improvement across the education system. It sets out a vision for a professional development entitlement, calling on the government to protect its manifesto pledge of investing in workforce capability.

Proposals

The report recommends:

• Introducing a universal teacher development entitlement for all teachers and school leaders, available nationally and for the long term. This builds on current strong foundations.
• Creating a professional development system that directs funding towards disadvantage and key system priorities, such as early years and SEND.
• Giving schools and trusts a good understanding of what they can access over the long term, with clear funding in place so they can plan their local offer. This gives teachers a clear sense of what is available to help them flourish professionally, pursue their interests and contribute to local improvement priorities.
• Supporting and sustaining an ecosystem of a range of providers, including national, regional and specialist organisations. This will help to build capacity and embed a shared understanding of what effective professional development looks like.

Read the report

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Cite this report

Menzies, L. and Hamer, M. (2025). A system that empowers: The future of professional development. Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Ambition Institute.