Investment in Teachers
“The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”
McKinsey, 2007
Why does CGS place such importance on its teachers?
Without excellent teachers, there cannot be excellent learners. So important to student success are outstanding teachers that UK research concluded that ‘having a very effective, rather than an average teacher, raises each pupil’s attainment by a third of [an examination] grade’ (Machin & Murphy, 2011:5). And this is the reason that CGS believes in investing in teachers – committing time, energy and finance to training our teachers so that we can ensure each CGS student encounters the best of teaching experiences.
Craig Wilson, Managing Director Schools, CGS
How does CGS achieve this?
Our teachers are professional educators, so our CGS development and training programme extends into all stages of our teachers’ careers. We consider continuing professional development to be a right of all of our teachers, and so the ongoing programmes we offer are tailored to meet the latest research findings in both curricular and pedagogical areas, to update teachers in their subject knowledge, and to ensure any relevant policy developments (such as safeguarding) are understood and implemented to maximum effect.
Angela Prickett, Teacher, St Michael’s School
Finally, we involve teachers in university-supported practitioner research, which enhances not only knowledge but enables teachers to become educators on an international stage and CGS to become leaders in education.
CGS is building on its previous training experience and has, in development, a comprehensive programme of education and training for teachers in the CGS group. We will expand our initial teacher education programme, where we select the highest calibre candidates and partner with universities to ensure that our trainee teachers have both practical classroom and academic understanding of both teaching and learning.
Maria Coulter, Head, Bournemouth Collegiate School
Teachers joining us at the start of their careers follow our Early Career Teachers’ Programme, an intensive and wide-ranging year-long programme of seminars and workshops, integrating classroom strategies and approaches with a deeper understanding of pedagogy and curriculum.
Maria Coulter, Head, Bournemouth Collegiate School
We map these sessions against the UK and US national standards but do not stop there. As CGS is an international group of schools, we have developed our own standards, which, whilst incorporating and extending the Department for Education (DfE) and US standards, are targeted to reflect the particular needs of CGS students.
Craig Wilson, Managing Director Schools, CGS
CGS takes seriously the centrality of great teachers – they are the foundation of great schools. Our investment in them is designed to reap the rewards for our core purpose: excellent student learning.
“What is the most important school-related factor in pupil learning? The answer is teaching.”
Schwartz, 2009
Our Education Philosophy
We have an unrelenting focus on the skills and knowledge our students really need from education to live and thrive in a complex and ambiguous world. Regardless of the CGS school, students benefit from our well-honed philosophy, which centres around investment in five key areas: students, teachers, curriculum (what to teach), pedagogy (how to teach), and boarding.
Investment in Students
Empowering students to become leaders of their own learning
Investment in Teachers
Professional development for teachers at every stage of their career
Investment in Curriculum
Creating a curriculum to help learners be the best that they can be
Investment in Pedagogy
Tailoring pedagogies to meet our students’ individual needs
Investment in Boarding
Creating a home away from home for boarders
