Ah, CPD. A blessing or a curse, am I right? CPD can be totally enlightening, opening doors to new insights, skills, and ideas that inspire even the most dilligent and research-savvy of employees. But we’ve all sat through CPD sessions that felt like a chore; ticking a box rather than genuinely adding value. Whether CPD sessions inspire or frustrate the audience often comes down to the way they’re delivered. With the right approach, CPD can become a dynamic, impactful tool rather than just another meeting in the diary.

Here are my top 5 tips to make sure your next CPD session leaves colleagues feeling motivated, engaged, and ready to take action.

Back It Up, Back It Up (...with Research!)

Before you are going to bring something to the table, make sure it's grounded in recent research. We know things develop in today's world at a faster pace than ever before, and the same is true for research. CPD shouldn’t just be a rehash of generic knowledge; participants appreciate learning backed by evidence that reflects current trends and proven strategies. Doing this builds trust and makes your session more impactful. I would advise having visual evidence of you personally trying what you are presenting out first to show your audience how it works and the impact it has had. For example, through assessment data, pictures of before and after, or feedback from a child or colleague.

Be Like Ben: Ben Knows His Colleagues Are Experts Too!

Teachers are busy—no one wants their time wasted with a CPD session that’s all filler and no substance. It’s essential to make your CPD direct, accessible, and enjoyable while remembering that your audience consists of skilled professionals who want practical, meaningful insights. Avoid patronising by acknowledging their experience and expertise, creating an environment where learning flows both ways.

To keep the session efficient and respectful of everyone’s time, I approach CPD success criteria just like in the classroom. I lay out clear steps for success and invite colleagues to decide where they’re starting from. If they already feel confident in steps 1 and 2, they can go straight to steps 3 or 4, with the resources in the room to support them (links, QR codes, CPD slides and a further extension of research on the session for them to also contribute to). This way, each participant can engage with the material at their own pace, focusing on what’s most valuable to them—no time wasted, and everyone leaves with something useful.

CPD Works Both Ways

Start your CPD sessions with the audience's engagement and end with audience feedback and further questions. This will help you relate your information to your audience's current experience, questions they asked and makes it more personable. Make sure you understand your audience's specific challenges and knowledge gaps.

Mentimetre is a free, useful tool for live feedback.

What will the impact be?

If you're delivering CPD, it’s because the topic has been deemed essential, either for addressing a need, improving practice, or supporting wider school improvement goals. Effective CPD should lead to actionable changes that benefit teachers and, ultimately, students. It’s crucial to make the purpose clear from the start, showing participants how the session connects to their daily practice and the impact it is expected to have. Consider allowing time during or at the end of your CPD for practical planning or discussions in smaller teams. Participants should come away feeling like they had time to apply what they learned into their planning, organisation, or department improvement plans.

Practice What You Preach

We've all been there, right? You hear the mumbles—“Sure, they don’t know what it’s like trying to actually do that day to day!”—echoing around the workplace before or after a CPD session. To create genuine impact and lasting change, it’s crucial to practice what you preach. Consider incorporating video demonstrations, visual evidence, or practical outlines to showcase how the strategies can be implemented in real-life scenarios. You might also think about team teaching or coaching to provide a hands-on experience. By demonstrating credibility through these methods, you not only gain the trust of your colleagues but also make the learning more relatable and applicable to their everyday teaching practice.

Delivering a successful CPD session is about creating an engaging, relevant experience that meet the needs of your colleagues and the workplace. It should never be CPD for CPD's sake; always consider the topic’s importance, its relevance to your audience, and have fun while creating it! You've got this!