Continuing Professional Development

At DoWAT, we believe that exceptional teaching and leadership are the foundations of outstanding education. Our commitment to professional development ensures that every member of staff - teachers, support staff, and leaders alike - has access to high-quality training, meaningful opportunities for growth and clear pathways for progression.

We invest in our people because we recognise that developing confident, capable and compassionate professionals directly benefits our pupils and strengthens our wider Catholic community. Across the Trust, we have built a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and reflection, supported by a range of professional learning opportunities.

DoWAT offers an extensive programme of training and development at every stage of a teacher’s career, from Initial Teacher Training (ITT) through to executive leadership. Through our partnership with St Mary’s University, Twickenham, we help to form the next generation of outstanding teachers grounded in Catholic values and educational excellence. Our collaboration with the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL) and the Flourishing Leadership Programme provides structured, accredited development for aspiring, middle and senior leaders across the Trust.

We are also proud of our support for continuous professional development (CPD) among support staff, recognising their vital contribution to our schools. From classroom assistants to business and administrative teams, all colleagues are encouraged to access relevant training and share expertise across the DoWAT network.

Through our commitment to professional learning, we aim to:

• Develop reflective, faith-informed leaders who model integrity and inspire others.
• Build strong professional networks that encourage collaboration, innovation and best practice.
• Ensure every teacher and member of staff is supported to reach their full potential.
• Embed a culture of lifelong learning that sustains excellence across all our academies.

By nurturing the talents of our people, we continue to strengthen the quality of Catholic education across our Trust—ensuring that every pupil benefits from the expertise, passion, and dedication of those who teach and support them.

Best Practice Networks

Our networks bring together subject leads from across our schools including Maths, Literacy, Early Years, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and more. 

These termly sessions allow us to regularly share insights, strategies, and innovations in teaching and learning. To date, we have facilitated over 400 of these sessions, creating a forum for professional dialogue and development. The impact of these networks is far-reaching: they not only promote consistency and excellence across our schools but also empower educators to learn from one another, drive improvements in classroom practice, and enhance outcomes for all our pupils. 

Flourishing Leaders

We recognise that high-quality teaching, leadership and support are central to the delivery of outstanding education and to the fulfilment of our mission as a Catholic Trust. Our approach to professional development is strategic, evidence-informed and aligned to the Trust’s core values of excellence, collaboration and service. We invest in structured programmes that develop capability, enhance leadership capacity and strengthen professional practice at every level.

We are delighted to be a Regional Delivery Partner for The National Society Foundation for Educational Leadership delivering The Flourishing Leader courses across the Diocese of Westminster.

This year, we are hosting The Emerging Leader Programme in-house and are pleased to be joined by colleagues from several neighbouring Catholic Multi Academy Trusts.

The Flourishing Emerging Leader Programme is a 12-month professional development journey designed for those stepping into leadership for the first time, regardless of career stage. It is tailored for middle leaders who play a pivotal role in school life—shaping curriculum, leading teaching and learning, supporting pupil wellbeing, and fostering environments where both staff and pupils can truly flourish.

The programme supports leaders across both academic and non-academic areas of school life and is facilitated by experienced Assistant Headteachers from across DoWAT.

For further information about the programme, please email flourishing@dowat or see the attached brochure below.

Link to NSE website: https://www.nse.org.uk/foundation-for-educational-leadership/flourishing-leaders

Religious Education Directory

Through our termly best practice meets we have been disseminating key information from Diocesan training and visits to all colleagues. All schools are well prepared for the implementation of the RED and find the central resources provided by RCDOW on the newly created hub very helpful.