Over the last ten years, teachers and school leaders have led on creating a golden age of professional learning.

The facts suggest we are entering a golden era of CPD.

Research-based CPD has undergone an explosion over the last decade.

• 20+ Behaviour hubs, growing by 50 in 2022.
• 20+ subject curriculum research reviews & webinars collated by Ofsted, for free.
• 37+ Research schools disseminating research evidence.
• 40+ ResearchEd conferences and books, with several more planned each year.
• 44+ ResearchEd Home talks, videos shared on Youtube for free.
• 50+ schools’ SLTs on Teach First’s Leading Together 2-year program, for free.
• 87 Teaching School Hubs funded at £200,000 per year.
• 100s of Greenshaw CPD videos, book club videos and video lessons for free online.
• 100s of podcasts online for free.
• 100s of participants on the Exemplary Leadership Programme.
• 100s of edu-books published by John Catt, mostly by teachers.
• 1000s of trusts working with the Confederation of School Trusts (60% of academies and growing)
• 1000s of teachers answering questions & seeing answers every day on Teacher Tapp – for free.
• 1000s of blogposts written by teachers accessible for free online.
• 10,000 Oak Academy lessons filmed, shared and collated by subject and year – for free.
• 50,000 Early Careers Teachers training on a Core Content Framework with mentoring.
• 150,000 National Professional Qualifications for free over the next 3 years with a codified body of knowledge and evidence sequenced into the journey of ITT, ECT, middle leadership, senior leadership, headship and executive headship.

Our time, though, isn’t limitless. There is lots of surface froth hiding the wealth of knowledge jewels amid the enduring currents in the depths.

We must choose selectively what to give our attention to. How can we best place our bets?

Find the treasure troves. 

In this series, I’m sketching treasure maps of where to unearth some of the smallest but most precious hidden gems. We’re looking for CPD that is free, fast and flexible. It should cost nothing (so no paid courses), not take too much time (so no full books), and be accessible anywhere on the planet (so no location-based events).

Treasure Troves to build your staff culture expertise, first.

Treasure Troves to build your student culture expertise, in this blogpost.

Treasure Troves to build your curriculum expertise, next.

Let’s continue with student culture.

Twelve Treasure Troves to build your student culture expertise

1. Science of habits – 7 keys to classroom habits that stick – David Thomas, Peps McCrae, Logan Fiorella and the Greenshaw Research school playlist

2. Behavioural science – Harry Fletcher Wood

3. Science of motivation – Peps McCrae’s 6 strategies

4. Research on relationship-building – Harry Fletcher Wood

5. Two discipline systems – Andrew Old on norms & his extraordinary Guide to Scenes from the battleground

6. Routines – Tom Bennett’s behaviour lessons from the best schools & 10 reboot strategies

7. Assemblies – Sam Brown; Bravery & Courage – Ben Newmark & the Jonathan Mountstevens collection

8. Hotspot of Hope: the Charter turnaround collection – Jo Facer, Nat Jones, Kris Boulton, Olivia Dyer

9. Consistency – the inimitable Barry Smith podcast, and on Darren Leslie’s podcast

10. High standards – Amy Forester 

11. Pastoral curricula – Louis Everett on Emily Folorunsho’s pastoral podcasts

12. Personal development curriculum – Charlie Cromerford, a ResearchEd talk & thread

Lastly, here are 12 top, free articles I collated on pupil ethos within a wider collection of 24 blogspots of research, 24 blogspots on curriculum and 12 on staff culture. These include writing by top edu-thinkers Laura McInerney, Doug Lemov, David Didau, Greg Ashman, Steve Lane and Nick Rose.

Teachers and school leaders alike can feel upbeat about the golden age of CPD we are creating together.