#25 We need to talk about… whole-school INSET: the good, the bad, and the way forward
Hello, and thanks for joining me. This week, I’m discussing what makes whole-school INSET purposeful, strategic, and genuinely worth the time we give it.
With many senior leaders now planning September’s training days, it feels like a good moment to pause and reflect. Few things are more frustrating than an INSET day with real potential that ends up missing the mark - planned hastily, packed with slides, overly generic, and detached from any long-term thinking. Instead of fuelling development, INSET can become a box-ticking exercise.
Some INSET days are worthwhile. Others fall flat. And for senior leaders with responsibility for CPD, the question is: what makes the difference?
In this post, I explore what works, what doesn’t, and how we can move forward.
The good
Despite the complaints, whole-school INSET isn’t inherently the problem. The issue lies in how it’s sometimes designed and delivered.
When planned well, these days offer something schools rarely have: protected time. Time to clarify direction, align practice, and rebuild a sense of shared purpose. INSET is a chance to reconnect, collaborate and pause, but only if used intentionally.
To be effective, whole-school INSET should sit within a longer-term plan, not operate as a one-off or isolated intervention.
At my last two schools, I led on CPD and worked hard to ensure that INSET content was aligned with our wider development aims. Statutory content, such as health and safety and safeguarding updates, was of course covered. But wherever possible, INSET supported a broader CPD vision that functioned much like a strategic plan: not a checklist to be completed, but a set of aims we returned to across the year.
Sessions helped staff understand how their work contributed to that bigger picture. That sense of coherence matters because it shows that time is being spent with purpose.
And while there’s real value in bringing the whole school together, not all INSET should be whole-school. Time spent in subject or pastoral teams can be just as important. But this isn’t about handing over an afternoon with no direction. Team time should still be purposeful, shaped by a clear framework, not micromanaged, but also not left to drift.
The bad
When INSET doesn’t work, the signs are familiar: low trust, tight control, and little relevance for large parts of the room. This isn’t because staff aren’t interested. It’s because they care and want their time to be well spent.
There are a few common pitfalls:
The first is one-size-fits-all content. Everyone in the same room, the same deck of slides, no regard for subject, role, or experience. This kind of CPD is often heavy on talk but light on impact.
The second is overload. Cramming in curriculum updates, behaviour tweaks, the latest instructional strategy: it’s no wonder little of it sticks. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) caution against this, instead advocating for clear goals, modelling, and feedback (Collin & Smith, 2021).
A third issue is the tyranny of the generic. For example, asking teachers to take a general session on metacognition and “make it fit” can lead to distorted delivery at subject level. It does more harm than good.
And finally, a lack of follow-through. Ideas are introduced, discussed briefly, and then never revisited. Without coaching, dedicated departmental time, or a sustained focus, professional development is unlikely to become embedded (Collin & Smith, 2021).
The way forward
INSET has real potential to support a school’s development priorities when it is purposefully structured and sustained:
Start with the structure. A morning focused on whole-school essentials such as safeguarding, strategic direction, culture, followed by an afternoon of tailored work in departments or coaching clinics, offers a better balance of clarity and depth.
Treat INSET as a starting point. A single session won’t lead to change, but returning to ideas through coaching, quality assurance, and line management builds momentum. CPD needs follow-up to have impact.
Respect subjects. I’ll write more on this next week, but it’s worth saying now: generic training can’t replace well-designed subject-specific development for teachers.
Don’t just reflect; rehearse. Live practice can feel uncomfortable, but walking through routines, modelling questioning or reading text aloud helps build fluency. The EEF identifies deliberate practice as a key feature of effective CPD, and for good reason (Collin & Smith, 2021).
Close the loop. Ask: what will you try next week? Then follow it up. Make space to share what’s stuck, what’s adapted, and what’s changed. If we don’t plan for change, we shouldn’t expect it.
Done with purpose, whole-school INSET can clarify direction, align practice, and build a stronger professional culture. But it only works when it’s part of something bigger, not a replacement for a considered, long-term CPD strategy.
Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, when I’ll explore an example of INSET for subject growth.
References
Collin, J & Smith, E. (2021) Effective professional development: guidance report, EEF. Available at: https://shorturl.at/l4ZG4 (accessed 18 June 2025).
Another great thought piece Cat!
This all resonates with me - thanks for this!