ABSTRACT
Within educational establishments there has always been the need to keep abreast of change, subject knowledge and the most effective ways of teaching. All schools have a delegated training budget that increases year upon year. This chapter explores how schools are influenced when identifying training needs, and how schools balance these influences in view of the role that the government is taking in setting the educational agenda for schools. The current Government recognises the importance of effective training for all teachers, from the Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) stage through to support for teachers in leadership roles. The target-setting process includes a meeting where the individual teacher's objectives and training needs are set 'within the context of the school's priorities'. The emphasis on core subjects, the drive to raise standards and the Literacy and Numeracy strategies have had a major impact on how schools spend their training budget.
