Services
Continuous professional development for all teachers
West Lothian Council is active in its support of all teachers at both school and authority level. There are extensive and varied CPD opportunities to support the development of teachers at all stages of their careers. Key features of our CPD strategy are:
- There is a full time Probationer Support Officer to ensure that probationers experience the best possible start to their career.
- A tailored programme of short courses is provided to support probationers in reaching the Standard for Full Registration.
- West Lothian Council retains a high proportion of teachers following their probationary year - with a further 5% in long term supply posts until permanent posts become available.
Further development for all teachers:
- A commitment to extending professionalism and developing practice.
- A wide range of short course CPD provision.
- An emphasis on work based learning and collegiality.
- Creating and sharing good practice through membership of task groups and professional networks.
- Supporting professional growth through mentoring and coaching.
On the leadership trail: A leadership framework which includes development through West Lothian and post graduate leadership programmes. Opportunities to extend experience through secondments and part-time roles. E.g. Cluster Co-ordinator posts, Network Leader posts, Development Posts, Acting Posts.
A further message for probationary teachers:
At the start of your career the future is important. You will want to know that here in West Lothian we have a high rate of retention of probationer teachers. In 2007, 70 per cent of our primary school probationers were given permanent jobs. While the number in our secondary schools was even higher at 74 per cent.
Our evaluations from our probationers show a very high level of satisfaction at the support they received during their year in West Lothian. They particularly make mention of the excellent support from their mentors and other school colleagues as well as from the probationer support staff at the centre. Probationers also indicated that they found their Continuous Professional Development programme very useful and our schools well resourced.
- "All the staff here have been so welcoming and friendly - it's been lovely to sit in the staffroom and chat with them."
- "Everyone I have spoken to has been so friendly and helpful, I have benefited from the experience of your staff and their willingness to pass on their knowledge."
- "I heard from other West Lothian Council probationers that training was good, as were job prospects after the probationer year."
- "I found schools to be well resourced and the staff to be knowledgeable about current research and thinking in education."
