CPD for King's Leaders 2025-26

CPD for King’s Leaders 2025-26 Supporting Leaders and Strengthening Teams

Introduction Effective Leaders are at the heart of every successful organisation.

Whether supporting individual employees or leading teams through period of change, up to date knowledge and practical tools are essential.

This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) brochure outlines a comprehensive programme of workshops and briefing sessions designed specifically for both Teaching and Support Leaders at all levels. Each session offers focused, practical guidance on key areas of leadership.

Whether you’re an experienced Leader or new to a Leadership role, these sessions will support you in building confidence, developing knowledge and skills and fostering a positive, inclusive workplace culture.

Explore the offer and invest in the skills that will help you and your teams to thrive.

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Workshops These sessions (normally 2 hours) will be delivered in person. iTrent People Manager Developed to provide Leaders with a comprehensive overview of the iTrent People Manager system. Covering key functionalities, including managing employee records, approving leave requests, recording absences and accessing HR reports. Leaders will learn how to navigate the system efficiently and use it to support day-to-day people management tasks.

Date Tuesday 16 September Tuesday 20 January Thursday 30 April

Time 10.30am – 12.00pm 2.00pm – 4.00pm 10.00am – 12.00pm

Venue Burgate Meeting Room Burgate Meeting Room Burgate Meeting Room

Budgeting and Finance for Leaders This session is intended to help Leaders gain confidence in managing school finances effectively. You will learn how school financial systems work, what your responsibilities are as a budget holder, and how to make informed, accountable decisions. By the end, you’ll be equipped to manage budgets correctly, strategically, and with assurance.

Date Tuesday 30 September

Time 1.30pm

Venue Science Auditorium

Recruitment This session will guide Leaders through the recruitment process, ensuring they are equipped to attract, select, and appoint the best candidates. The session will cover all stages of the process, including drafting job descriptions and person specifications, shortlisting, interviewing, and making offers. It will address legal and policy requirements as well as best practice for unbiased and consistent decision-making.

Date Friday 3 October Wednesday 8 October Tuesday 14 October

Time 10.00am – 12.00pm 2.00pm – 4.00pm 10.00am – 12.00pm

Venue Science Auditorium 2 Science Auditorium 2 Science Auditorium 2

Sickness Absence Management The Sickness Absence Management workshop will provide Leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage sickness absence within their teams. The session will explore how to provide appropriate support to employees while meeting legal responsibilities, including confidentiality and reasonable adjustments.

Date Tuesday 11 November

Time 10.00am – 12.00pm

Venue Science Auditorium 2

Managing Investigations Develop the knowledge and skills needed to conduct fair, thorough, and legally compliant investigations relating to disciplinary and grievance matters in the workplace. Covering key stages of the investigation process, including planning, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and documenting findings. Leaders will learn how to remain impartial, maintain confidentiality, and ensure that investigations align with the ACAS Code of Practice and relevant UK employment legislation.

Date Wednesday 4 February

Time 10.00am – 12.00pm

Venue Burgate Meeting Room

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace This session is designed to help Leaders understand, prevent, and appropriately respond to sexual harassment in the workplace. Covering the legal definition of sexual harassment, the rights of employees, and the responsibilities of employers. It will explore examples of unacceptable behaviour, how to handle complaints sensitively and fairly and the importance of early intervention and maintaining confidentiality.

Date Tuesday 17 March

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Time 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Venue Science Auditorium 2

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Bite-size Briefings These short sessions (30 minutes) will be delivered online via Teams.

Running Annual Reviews This briefing will provide guidance for Academic Heads of Departments on how to prepare for annual reviews to ensure that the meetings are effective and support future development.

Date Friday 10 October

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Effective Induction This briefing session will support Leaders to deliver effective and engaging inductions for new employees. It will outline the key elements of a successful induction process, including preparing for the new starter’s arrival, introducing them to the team and workplace culture, and ensuring they understand their role, responsibilities, and key policies.

Date Thursday 16 October

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Effective Feedback and Difficult Conversations This briefing will focus on equipping Leaders with the confidence to provide feedback that is both constructive and impactful. The session will also look at strategies for approaching difficult conversations to ensure that conversations remain respectful while still addressing issues directly.

Date Tuesday 4 November 8

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

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Psychological Safety and Radical Candour This session will explore the concept of Psychological Safety underpinned by the framework of Radical Candour. Together, these concepts help Leaders foster open dialogue, strengthen team resilience, and improve performance.

Date Thursday 13 November

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Developing Departmental Action Plans This session will guide Academic Heads of Department through the principles of creating action plans that drive meaningful progress and support the alignment of departmental objectives with strategic goals.

Date Tuesday 18 November

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Conducting Risk Assessments This briefing is designed to equip Leaders with a clear understanding of how to effectively conduct HR related risk assessments. The session will cover the principles of risk assessment and recording and reviewing findings.

Date Wednesday 19 November

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Managing Flexible Working Requests This briefing is designed to help Leaders understand how to effectively and fairly respond to flexible working requests. The session will cover the types of flexible working arrangements available, the formal request process, and the criteria for assessing requests.

Date Wednesday 3 December

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams 11

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Supporting Employees with Disabilities This briefing will help Leaders to understand their role in supporting colleagues with disabilities and fostering an inclusive workplace. The session will cover the legal framework, including the Equality Act and the duty to consider reasonable adjustments.

Date Thursday 15 January

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Supporting Colleagues Before, During and After Maternity Leave This session will guide Leaders on how to effectively support colleagues who take maternity leave. It will cover planning prior to leave, maintaining appropriate contact during the absence, and facilitating a smooth transition back to work.

Date Wednesday 11 February

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Menopause Awareness This briefing aims to raise awareness and equip Leaders with the knowledge and confidence to support colleagues experiencing perimenopause and menopause in the workplace.

Date Thursday 5 March

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

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Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion These interactive sessions invite Leaders to bring any questions they have about diversity, equity, and inclusion. It offers a safe, open forum to explore practical challenges, legal considerations, and organisational strategies.

Date Thursday 27 November Tuesday 10 March Tuesday 30 June

Time 1.30pm 1.30pm 1.30pm

Venue Teams Teams Teams

Stress Awareness Delivered to coincide with National Stress Awareness Month this session will develop awareness and understanding of the impact stress at work. The session will cover the signs of stress, how to support colleagues to proactively manage their own stress and conducting stress risk assessments.

Date Thursday 23 April

Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

Providing Employment References This session will guide Leaders on how to provide employment references that are accurate, consistent, and legally compliant. The session will cover the different types of references (e.g., factual vs. character), what information can and cannot be included, and the importance of adhering to data protection laws.

Date Wednesday 6 May

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Time 1.30pm

Venue Teams

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Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion These sessions will equip Leaders with the knowledge needed to create fair opportunities for all employees, address unconscious bias, and support diverse teams effectively.

Date Tuesday 13 January Tuesday 28 April

Time 1.30pm 1.30pm

Venue Teams Teams

Anti-Discrimination Conversations These briefings will support Leaders to understand how to lead constructive conversations that address discrimination in the workplace and foster a respectful, inclusive environment where concerns are handled promptly and fairly.

Date Wednesday 24 September Tuesday 27 January Tuesday 12 May

Time 1.30pm 1.30pm 1.30pm

Venue Teams Teams Teams

Mental Health Awareness These briefings are intended to raise awareness and support Leaders to identify common signs of mental health issues. The sessions will also explore the business case for supporting positive mental health and practical ways in which Leaders can help themselves and their teams.

Date Tuesday 7 October Tuesday 3 February Tuesday 2 June 16

Time 1.30pm 1.30pm 1.30pm

Venue Teams Teams Teams

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Inclusive Language These sessions will help leaders to understand the impact of language on workplace culture and equip them with practical strategies for using words that promote respect, belonging, and inclusion.

Date Wednesday 5 November Tuesday 24 February Tuesday 16 June

Time 1.30pm 1.30pm 1.30pm

Venue Teams Teams Teams

DEI Q&A These interactive sessions invite Leaders to bring any questions they have about diversity, equity, and inclusion. It offers a safe, open forum to explore practical challenges, legal considerations, and organisational strategies.

Date Thursday 27 November Tuesday 10 March Tuesday 30 June

Time 1.30pm 1.30pm 1.30pm

Venue Teams Teams Teams

IT The IT Department offers 1-1 sessions covering everything from Using Microsoft Forms to Designing a Share point Site and everything in between. Sessions can be booked at a time that suits you using the following link: IT Training Link

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Make a Booking

Booking a place on a session couldn’t be easier. Simply log onto iTrent ESS and click on the Learning Icon on your home page.

From here you will be able to see a full list of courses or search for a course by keyword. Simply select the course you would like to attend, and you will receive a confirmation that can be added to your outlook calendar. If the session is fully booked you can be added to a waiting list.

If for any reason you are unable to attend a course, you will need to provide 48 hours’ notice of cancellation via iTrent ESS.

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