What CPD do teachers need?
Short answer
Teacher CPD requirements are set by national or state education authorities, school inspection frameworks and, in many systems, individual employers. Typical priorities include safeguarding, inclusion and special educational needs, assessment, subject knowledge, and increasingly the classroom use of digital and AI tools.
Safeguarding is the most commonly mandated element, frequently on an annual refresh cycle, and is usually the one inspectors ask to see evidence of first.
Beyond mandatory training, the strongest teacher CPD records show a coherent line: a development priority identified, accredited learning taken against it, and a reflection describing the change in classroom practice. Volume of certificates is a weaker signal than direction.