Great Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can give you the confidence and skills to deliver your teaching and learning objectives in a creative manner. We have put together a list of CPD opportunities that explore the ways that local buildings and places can be used for enhancing the school curriculum and improving your professional practice.
Bristol Brunel Academy © Michele Turriani
Places Matter! Education
Architecture centre, Places Matter! In Liverpool, offer CPD sessions designed to support teachers delivering the Construction and the Built Environment Diploma, in the North West region. Look out for their forthcoming sessions on sustainability; job roles in the built environment sector; and inclusive design.
Visit the Places Matter website for more details.
Solent Centre for Architecture + Design
The Solent Centre in Lyndhurst provide introductory workshops for teachers on the built environment, sustainability and landscape as teaching resources. The workshops will explore how to embed these topics into your everyday teaching. Workshops are hands-on with time to develop your own work schemes and action plans.
Visit the Solent Centre for Architecture + Design website for more details.
Exploring science in the outdoor classroom
This CPD course by the National Science Learning Centre at the University of York, is designed to help secondary science teachers recognise ways that they can contribute to, and gain from, conducting students’ learning activities outside the traditional classroom.
Visit the Science Learning Centres website for more details.
RIBA Trust – Architects in residence
The programme, ‘Architects in residence’ offers a how-to guide to running a school-based project using the skills and assistance of local architects. Teachers gain CPD accreditation through developing an ‘architects in residence’ project.
Visit the ‘Architects in residence’ page for more details.
Sir John Soane’s Museum – Teachers InSET training
Illustrated talk and handling session for teachers, revealing the wealth of opportunities to introduce architecture and the built environment into class work.
Visit the Sir John Soane’s Museum website for more details.
Everest Community College © Dave Morris
English Heritage
The English Heritage education team supports teaching and learning across their sites. Staff provide training and CPD for teachers and offer a range of printed and web-based resources.
To view a current list of education training and site visits, visit the English Heritage website.
Learning Outside the Classroom for teachers
The Learning Outside the Classroom initiative has developed an extensive online CPD module to encourage teachers to consider the learning benefits of taking children out of the classroom, and the considerations for doing this. It includes a collection of powerpoint presentations, trainer notes and audio-visual material, so you can run a small group session within your school.
To access this resource, download from the Learning Outside the Classroom website.
Geography teaching: My place, your place, our place
Sustainability and community cohesion are the focus the online course, My place, your place, our place. It explores the relationships between identity and place by drawing on key geographical processes and understanding. Through this course, you will be able to develop and extend your geographical expertise in both stand-alone and inter-disciplinary contexts.
Visit the Geographical Association’s website for more details.
Planning for innovation in the secondary geography curriculum
A 30 hour course delivered by the University of Cambridge faculty of education. The course focuses on sustainable development: change and interaction for secondary geography teachers and covers in-school curriculum development.
Visit the University of Cambrdige website for more details.
Take a look at further CPD built environment education opportunities listed on Engaging Places.
