ABSTRACT
Professional learning is now more creatively and effectively managed in many schools. There are greater efforts to balance using external experts with colleagues in school with expertise or highly developed skills. Another major shift has been the move towards learning 'in situ' resulting from the realization that training and development will only have impact if the learning of something new is followed by putting it into practice. This shift towards more practical and personalized professional learning is important as it offers opportunities for more rapid development of the school workforce and real impact on pedagogy. The following points were identified as being important: At department level, most of these themes could be explored through discussion and, if appropriate, made a focus for improvement through teacher development. Coaches should aim to become excellent in the following areas: In a pure coaching relationship the coach focuses on drawing out solutions from the learner rather than offering advice and guidance.
