Initial and continuing professional development in history education 

Introduction: The White Paper

The recent Schools' White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, emphasises ‘that the most important factor in determining how well children do is the quality of teachers and teaching' (DfE, 2010:9).

White Paper recommendations include:

1. raising the quality of new entrants to the teaching profession;

2. reforming initial teacher training;

3. developing a national network of Teaching Schools; and

4. ensuring that teachers receive ‘effective professional development throughout their career'.

What might these look like in practice?