Unique teachers' career guide published

11 March 2003

The first concise and complete guide for teachers' career development in the independent sector has been published by the Society of Headmasters and Headmistresses of Independent Schools (SHMIS).

Launched today at the Society's annual conference in Chester, the manual aims to provide a clear guide to the professional and personal qualities and skills required at each stage of a teacher's career, from first qualification to headship.

With strong support from the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools, the ‘Manual of Continuing Professional Development' will be sent to all SHMIS schools and an online version made available to any other of the 1,270 independent schools within the Independent Schools Council which wish to make use of it.

The manual has been compiled by the Society's Professional Development Committee, chaired by Tim Kirkup, headmaster of Scarborough College, Yorks. He said today: "This manual builds firmly on the support that is offered to newly qualified teachers.  But it does so in a flexible and creative way.  We want to help individual teachers exploit their strengths and ambitions, rather than feel straitjacketed by prescriptive models of professional development. 

"At this time, schools face enormous challenges in recruiting and retaining good teachers.  One of the aims of this manual is to meet that challenge head-on."

For each stage of a teacher's career path, the manual identifies the main functions associated with a role, and the knowledge, key skills and personal qualities associated with it.

"Professional development is about enabling teachers to perform the responsibilities of their role as effectively as possible, as well as highlighting the developments required to progress to the next stage of management, for those for whom it is appropriate and relevant," says the introduction to the manual.

"The manual offers teachers the chance to be active in developing and progressing their own careers, and acts as a framework for the professional development discussions between teachers and their mentors."

At each stage of progression, whether through academic or pastoral roles, the manual offers a short profile of the relevant post of responsibilities and lists in grid format the knowledge, skills and personal qualities required in the range of functions demanded by the post.