Welcome back — I know Spring 2 can feel financially tight, emotionally tight, and time tight.
So here’s something honest to start the term with.
A head said something to me recently that stopped me in my tracks:
“I spend £2 million on staff.
I’m not going to worry about £60k on CPD.”
And she’s right.
We talk about CPD like it’s a “nice-to-have”.
A luxury.
Something to trim when the budget hurts.
But when you strip it back, CPD is the thing that protects the biggest investment you make every single year: your people.
Because when people grow:
behaviour improves,
culture strengthens,
clarity rises,
performance lifts
— and all of that makes your job easier, not harder.
And here’s the part heads don’t say out loud:
It’s expensive not to develop people.
Not developing people leads to:
mixed expectations,
inconsistent practice,
staff leaning too heavily on you,
and problems that should have been solved months ago.
That’s where the real cost sits.
Hidden.
Slow.
Draining.
And look — of course I’d say this.
I provide CPD to schools.
But I put my money where my mouth is.
I learned the huge importance of investing in people when I worked at John Lewis.
They were exceptional at developing their staff — from books and coaching to courses and leadership programmes.
And it showed.
It was a massive reason for their success.
People were clear, confident, aligned, and capable.
That shaped me deeply as a leader.
It’s why I still invest in training for myself and my team every single year —
because I know the cost of not doing it.
Things take longer.
Problems slip through.
The culture wobbles.
And everyone feels the strain.
That’s why the heads who invest in CPD — even in deficit years — do it for one reason:
They’re protecting a £2 million human investment.
They know improvement isn’t about “more things”.
It’s about better behaviours,
clearer expectations,
and a team that grows together,
not one the head carries alone.
So here’s a question for you this week:
What’s one CPD line you’ll defend this year — even if the budget feels uncomfortable?
Because the right CPD doesn’t cost.
It pays back.
Here’s to growing teams that grow the school.
Sonia ✨🙏💛