What is CPD?

Confirmation of remaining in good professional standing through declaration of CPD is a requirement of IfL membership (excluding Companion members). However it is no longer a statutory requirement.

The window for declaring CPD is between 1 June and 31 August each year.

Declaring your CPD simply involves telling us how many hours of CPD you have completed during the previous year (1 September - 31 August), together with a brief summary. You can declare your CPD hours on REfLECT or by logging into My Pages on the IfL website. No evidence needs to be sent with your CPD declaration.

Evidence of members' CPD is also used by IfL to promote the professionalism of teachers and trainers to the wider public and informs IfL's annual CPD review.

NB: You should only declare your CPD through REfLECT if you have already used REfLECT to record your CPD.

Should you have any questions, please contact the CPD team at cpdenquiries@ifl.ac.uk

As a member of IfL, you commit to recording your continuing professional development (CPD). This demonstrates that you are improving relevant knowledge and skills in your subject area and teaching or training. A wide range of formal and informal activities could count as meaningful professional development. You just need to be able to answer yes to these questions:

• Have you undertaken professional development activities this year?
• Have you reflected on the learning you have gained from these activities?
• Have the activities and the reflection made a difference to how you teach or train?
• Can you show evidence of this difference and the impact it has made to learners, colleagues or the organisation in which you work?

Recording your CPD

Your record will need to show that you have spent at least 30 hours each year (or pro-rata if you are a part-time teacher or trainer, with a minimum of 6 hours per year) on professional development. This needs to be declared to IfL by 31 August every year.

You can record your CPD in any form that suits you and your circumstances although we strongly recommend that you use REfLECT, an online personal learning space for IfL members. REfLECT is a personal and secure space, designed to support you in keeping a log of your CPD activities and reflections.

What counts as CPD?

Examples include:

• Reading relevant journal articles or reviewing books
• Training courses or formal development or study
• Peer review, mentoring or shadowing
• Online learning including engagement in discussion forums and blogs
• Viewing and reviewing television programmes, documentaries and the internet
• Teachers and trainers talk about what constitutes CPD