Hundreds of millions of pounds are being “wasted” every year on ineffective continuing professional development (CPD), according to a report calling for a new national approach.
CPD is constrained by “fragmented provision” and “uneven access”, according to findings published by the Teacher Development Trust (TDT) today.
And survey findings in the report show almost four in 10 teachers (39 per cent) said that the CPD they received had not clearly improved their ability to perform their job.
The report estimates that around £1 billion is spent annually on CPD for teachers - including Inset costs, funding for training hubs and networks, and direct investment by schools.
But the charity’s report, Teacher Development: The CPD landscape in 2025, warns that the lack of meaningful coordination and strategy “means it is far less effective than it needs to be”.
Call for government transparency
TDT’s chief executive Gareth Conyard said: “The sector already has the intent and the investment needed to build stronger schools through effective professional development, but without urgent action we risk squandering these foundations.”
Although Labour made a manifesto commitment to fund a new teacher development entitlement, TDT said that it is essentially already in place.
The report says: “Our evidence suggests that a de facto entitlement is already in place, given the amount of money being spent; however, the lack of meaningful coordination and strategy means it is far less effective than it needs to be.”
As a result, “hundreds of millions of pounds are being wasted every year”.
TDT has called on the government to undertake a review of all spending on CPD programmes and be “transparent” in how much it is spending on different forms of CPD.
The charity also recommended that CPD provision is improved and extended beyond the Early Career Framework and national professional qualifications to better serve mid-career and classroom-focused teachers.
The government has appointed an expert steering group to advise on how NPQs can be reformed. The ECF is also set for a full review in 2027.
Survey findings
As part of the report, TDT commissioned YouGov to carry out polling, with 1,085 respondents.
More than a third of respondents (39 per cent) reported that CPD has not “clearly improved their ability” to improve their job, and 18 per cent of teachers have spent less than a single day or no time at all receiving CPD.
The report says that high workload and teacher shortages across the sector could help explain this.
It adds that “releasing staff for extended CPD is a challenge, and as a result, schools may default to shorter, more accessible, “quick-fix” formats such as webinars and wholly online platforms”.
The report then continues: “Systemic barriers, including time, funding and accountability pressures, are influencing not just how much CPD teachers access, but also the kinds of CPD they are offered.”
Less than half (45 per cent) feel that undertaking CPD is actively encouraged or promoted, and even fewer say that it is directly applicable to their role (26 per cent).
Half (50 per cent) of primary school respondents said that the funding for CPD is not available, and cannot be made available.
While respondents agreed that CPD supports whole-school development, fewer than half of respondents feel it aligns with school improvement priorities or directly addresses their professional needs.
More SEND CPD needed
SEND (39 per cent), technology integration (34 per cent) and leadership (29 per cent) were listed as the three CPD areas respondents most needed.
Coaching, mentoring and peer observation are the least-used forms of CPD, although TDT found them to be the most effective.
Almost one in five (18 per cent) respondents reported that CPD impact was not evaluated at all, which the report said risks feeling “generic, disconnected, or of limited value”.
“CPD risks becoming compliance-driven rather than growth-oriented,” the report warns.
