Janette Quinn, Director of Education and Professional Learning at COBIS shares insights about the journey of CPECT, its fundamentals, and what to expect from the programme.

What is CPECT and who is it for?

The COBIS Programme for Early Career Teachers (CPECT) is a new, two-year programme of professional development and support for Early Career Teachers in international schools, or other teachers who want to further develop their skills. It is suitable for teachers who are not undergoing formal induction (who may be new to the profession, or new to teaching in the British international school system) and can also be completed alongside formal ECT induction (for those in an eligible school).

Why has COBIS developed a new COBIS Programme for Early Career Teachers?

COBIS is committed to supporting and empowering all British international schools in their provision of high-quality education. All teachers deserve high quality support at the start of their careers – it can be overwhelming with your first class, and teachers in international schools may also be working away from home for the first time. We want the best possible student outcomes in our schools and supporting teachers is key to this. When changes were made to the statutory induction for teachers (England) with the introduction of a two-year induction based on the early career framework (ECF), including expectations about professional development, schools were asking how can we best support our teachers? We had numerous requests to provide support, both from schools that are eligible to deliver formal Early Career Teacher (ECT) induction, but also from schools looking to provide the best possible start for teachers who are new to the profession or new to the British international school system, but not undergoing formal induction.

Walk us through the process from an idea through a pilot and then to the CPECT as is it today.

Quality, relevance, manageability and impact were all key to success, making the most of the huge range of expertise within our schools and wider network. We needed to ensure that the programme covered the Teachers’ Standards (England) in depth, but at the same time was pertinent to teachers working in different contexts. Helen Gregory, an experienced educator, who is passionate about providing the best start for teachers, supported with the production of the resources and co-facilitated the pilot, along with a diverse range of guest speakers. The pilot cohort comprised of both expat teachers and local teachers from schools in nine countries who wanted to develop their teaching skills further in line with UK standards. It was important that the course was contextual, manageable and made a difference to everyday teaching. Teachers complete activities directly linked to the early career framework through the three R’s approach – Read, Reflect, React. This enables teachers to apply theory to practice. After they have read the recommended reading, teachers have an opportunity to reflect on what they have read and apply this to their practice in the classroom. Materials are further supported by podcasts, produced by a range of passionate educators who share their expertise and bring the Teachers’ Standards to life in context. During year two, teachers then have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge further and strengthen identified targets through the completion of four inquiries. Five online sessions take place each year. This means that participants can share challenges and successes and reflect on the standards. Visiting speakers bring theory to life and provide practical ideas. The live sessions also give teachers a chance to network and ask questions. At the end of the first year, our pilot teachers selected one of the standards that had particular impact on them and shared this – it was a great opportunity to celebrate success and share ideas – this is something we will definitely continue to do at the end of each year!

Throughout the pilot, what did you learn about the programme, as well as early career teachers’ needs?

The first year of the pilot has been a huge success and exceeded expectations! Teachers involved highlighted the fact that the COBIS programme supports their development – it did not feel ‘like an add-on’ but provided support, time to reflect and practical tips. Early career teachers can feel overwhelmed, and they valued the face-to-face sessions with opportunities to talk to other colleagues across the world who were experiencing similar feelings. A key to the success of the pilot has been the involvement of so many people who have shared their expertise whether it is to produce a podcast on a specialist area or lead a session during our face-to-face sessions. This will continue to evolve and enables CPECT to be topical – we all remember people that inspired us when we started our journey as teachers, and it is fantastic that process continues. The enthusiastic, dedicated mentors in the schools we worked with made such a difference to supporting teachers to be on track and apply theory to practice in their own context.

Is there anything else you would like to share about the CPECT?

CPECT is not formal ECT induction. Schools that are eligible to deliver ECT induction will need to register their ECTs with an Appropriate Body. However, CPECT is linked to the early career framework and teachers undergoing formal induction have found the materials useful to support the process, especially with areas they find more challenging. The practical tips linked to theory support ongoing reflections and changes in practice. Local teachers and teachers new to the profession have appreciated access to the high calibre resources and activities that have enabled them to develop their teaching skills and increase their understanding of the UK Standards. They have appreciated the time to reflect and develop their teaching. They have also enjoyed sharing ideas with educators across the world. The flexibility of the programme means that teachers can personalise it to their needs, spending longer on different standards if needed. The COBIS community believes in maximising opportunities for success for our new teachers, helping them to thrive and enjoy their role to support teacher retention and continue to grow the global teacher workforce. We are really looking forward to working with our new cohort of CPECT teachers starting in September and supporting their growth and confidence as teachers.

More information about CPECT and booking forms