CPD hours for teachers vary depending on your sector, employer, and professional body — but the wrong assumption here can leave you under-qualified, non-compliant, or simply stalled in your career.
TL;DR: There is no single legally mandated number of CPD hours for teachers in the UK. Further education (FE) teachers are expected to complete 30 hours of CPD per year as a professional norm, while school teachers follow employer-set requirements that typically run 15–30 hours annually. In 2026, the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) still defines the 30-hour benchmark for FE as sector best practice. Primary and secondary school teachers working under local authority or academy trust contracts usually follow 5 "directed" INSET days per year, each counting as roughly 6 hours. This guide breaks down what each sector expects, how to record your hours, and how accredited qualifications count toward your total.
Why CPD Hours Matter More Than You Think
Missing CPD targets is not just an admin failure. In FE, failure to maintain your professional development record can affect your licence to practise under the Professional Standards for Teachers and Trainers. In schools, insufficient CPD affects appraisal outcomes and, at senior levels, progression on the pay scale. Accredited qualifications — a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training, for instance — carry recognised CPD weight that informal training simply does not.
What You Will Need
- A CPD log or portfolio (digital or paper)
- Your employer's CPD policy document
- Your professional body membership details (if applicable: ETF, QTLS, or similar)
- A record of completed qualifications, short courses, and workplace observations
- Roughly 2–4 hours per month set aside across the academic year to hit the 30-hour FE benchmark
Step 1 — Identify Which CPD Framework Applies to You
Start by confirming which sector you work in. The rules differ significantly.
Further Education and Adult Learning (FE/ACL): The ETF framework sets 30 hours of CPD per year as the expected minimum for all qualified FE teachers in England. This applies whether you work full-time or part-time; part-time teachers should pro-rata accordingly, though the 30-hour figure is the stated benchmark. Wales and Scotland have separate frameworks — in Wales, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) requires registered FE teachers to evidence ongoing CPD as a condition of registration renewal.
School Teachers (England): There is no statutory minimum CPD hour count set by the Department for Education (DfE) for school teachers. Your school or trust sets the expectation. The five statutory INSET days per academic year amount to approximately 30 hours of directed training time, but schools routinely add CPD requirements on top through appraisal processes. Early Career Teachers (ECTs) on the 2-year induction framework have structured support time built in, which counts as CPD.
Independent Trainers and Workplace Assessors: If you deliver training outside a school or college, your CPD obligations are set by your awarding organisation or employer. Assessors holding the CAVA qualification are expected by most awarding bodies to maintain annual CPD records as a condition of centre approval.
Common mistake: Assuming your INSET days alone satisfy a 30-hour CPD target. INSET days satisfy the directed-time requirement under your contract. They are a starting point, not the finish line.
Step 2 — Calculate Your Target Hours for 2026
Use the table below as your working reference.
| Sector | Annual CPD Target | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FE / Adult Learning (England) | 30 hours | ETF Professional Standards |
| FE (Wales) | EWC-evidenced ongoing CPD | Education Workforce Council |
| School teachers (England) | ~30 hours (5 INSET days) + trust/employer additions | DfE / employer contract |
| Early Career Teachers (ECTs) | Built-in statutory support time | DfE ECT Framework 2021 |
| Independent trainers / assessors | Employer or awarding-body defined | Centre approval conditions |
If you are in FE, 30 hours breaks down to 2.5 hours per month across a 12-month cycle, or roughly 3 hours per month across a standard 10-month academic year. That is achievable — provided you plan it in advance rather than cramming it into June.
Common mistake: Counting the same activity twice. A one-day conference that covers teaching practice and subject knowledge counts as one block of CPD hours, not double.
Step 3 — Categorise What Counts
Not everything labelled "CPD" carries equal weight with professional bodies or Ofsted. Acceptable CPD activity breaks into three broad types:
Formal / Accredited CPD
- Completing a Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET) — typically 9 guided learning hours (GLH) plus self-study
- A Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training — 120 GLH, which easily covers multiple years' worth of formal CPD in one qualification
- Assessor awards such as the Level 3 CAVA
- IQA qualifications
Non-Formal / Structured CPD
- Attending sector conferences or ETF events
- In-house training sessions and webinars (with a record of attendance and reflection)
- Peer observation and feedback cycles
- Mentoring or coaching programmes
Informal CPD
- Reading sector journals, policy documents, and research reports
- Online self-study modules
- Subject-specialist updating (e.g. keeping current with changes to a vocational area you assess)
Informal CPD counts toward your log, but most professional bodies and Ofsted inspectors want to see a balance. A log made entirely of reading articles will not satisfy an ETF review.
Common mistake: Logging time spent doing your job as CPD. Marking, lesson planning, and admin are not CPD — they are your role.
Step 4 — Record Your Hours Correctly
Your CPD log needs four fields per entry to be defensible:
- Date and duration — exact hours, not "about half a day"
- Activity description — what it was and who provided it
- Learning outcome — what you took from it (2–3 sentences is enough)
- Impact on practice — how you applied or plan to apply the learning
The ETF's own CPD recording template follows this structure. Most LMS platforms used by employers (including those used by Bright Pathway learners) include a CPD log function. If yours does not, a spreadsheet works — what matters is that it is dated, evidenced, and signed off annually.
Expected outcome: A log you can show a line manager, an Ofsted inspector, or a professional body without preparation. If you have to rebuild it from memory, it is not a log.
Common mistake: Waiting until appraisal season to compile the year's activity. Log each item within a week of completing it.
Step 5 — Submit or Evidence Your Hours
How you submit depends on your context.
- FE teachers in England — upload to your employer's CPD system or ETF membership profile. Some colleges require an annual CPD review meeting where the log is countersigned.
- School teachers — CPD evidence feeds into your appraisal cycle. Your line manager or CPD lead reviews it against your professional development targets.
- EWC-registered teachers in Wales — registration renewal requires evidenced CPD. Failure to provide it means registration lapses.
- Independent trainers and assessors — submit to your centre's quality team or awarding organisation as part of annual centre review.
If you hold QTLS status through the Society for Education and Training (SET), SET requires you to demonstrate ongoing CPD as part of annual membership. Completing a recognised qualification through a provider like Bright Pathway counts directly toward this evidence.
Troubleshooting
"I missed 10 hours this year — what do I do?"
First, check whether any informal activity you did not log can be reconstructed with evidence (emails confirming attendance, certificates, reading lists with dates). If there is a genuine shortfall, be transparent with your line manager and plan a catch-up in the first quarter of the next academic year. Proactive disclosure is always treated more favourably than gaps discovered at appraisal.
"My employer says CPD is voluntary."
In schools that have no formal CPD policy, it is still in your professional interest to maintain a log. Ofsted's Education Inspection Framework (EIF, updated 2024) looks at how well leaders support staff development — a personal CPD record demonstrates professional commitment independent of institutional policy.
"I'm a supply teacher — do CPD hours apply to me?"
Yes, but there is no agency mechanism to enforce them. If you hold QTS or QTLS, maintaining CPD is a condition of your continued professional standing. Keep your own log regardless of whether any single employer requires it.
"Does a full qualification count as all my CPD for the year?"
A Level 5 DET, for example, carries 120 GLH. That exceeds the 30-hour annual target. However, most professional bodies want to see CPD spread across the year rather than completed in one block. Use the qualification as the anchor of your log and add smaller activities around it.
"My CPD log was lost when I changed employers."
Request a transcript or completion certificate from every provider you trained with. Accredited qualifications are always recoverable via the awarding organisation. Non-accredited sessions may require a letter from the original provider confirming dates and content.
"I deliver training but I am not employed by a school or college — am I exempt?"
No professional exemption exists for freelance trainers. If you hold an assessor award or a teaching qualification, the professional standards tied to that award assume ongoing CPD. Awarding bodies can withdraw centre approval if CPD records are absent during quality audits.
Tools and Resources
- ETF Professional Standards and CPD Framework — free to access at the Education and Training Foundation website; the definitive reference for FE teachers in England
- Education Workforce Council (EWC) — statutory registration and CPD requirements for teachers in Wales
- Society for Education and Training (SET) — membership body for FE professionals; provides a CPD recording tool and guidance for QTLS holders
- Bright Pathway's Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training — a fully online, accredited qualification that generates 120 GLH of formal CPD and supports QTLS applications
- Bright Pathway's Level 3 AET courses — entry-level teaching qualification, 9 GLH, commonly used by new trainers building their first CPD record in 2026
- Your employer's CPD policy document — always the first document to request when you join a new organisation
What to Do Next
If your CPD log is thin or you need a formal qualification to anchor it, the practical next step is enrolling on an accredited course. The AET course for new teachers explains what to expect from the Level 3 Award — a common first step for trainers building CPD records in 2026. For those already practising and aiming at QTLS or a full teaching qualification, the Level 5 DET vs PGCE comparison gives a clear breakdown of which route fits the FE sector.
FAQ
How many CPD hours do teachers need per year in the UK?
FE teachers in England are expected to complete 30 hours of CPD per year, in line with ETF Professional Standards. School teachers have no statutory minimum but typically complete around 30 hours through INSET days and employer-set targets.
Do INSET days count as CPD hours?
Yes. Each statutory INSET day counts as approximately 6 hours of directed CPD time. Five INSET days equals roughly 30 hours — but this meets the directed-time requirement, not necessarily your full professional CPD obligation.
Is there a legal requirement for teacher CPD in England?
No single law mandates a specific CPD hour count for school teachers. For FE teachers, the ETF framework sets 30 hours as sector-wide expected practice, and EWC registration in Wales requires evidenced CPD for renewal.
Does completing a qualification count as CPD?
Yes. An accredited qualification such as the Level 5 DET (120 GLH) counts as formal CPD and generates significantly more recorded hours than most short-course activity. It also carries greater weight in professional reviews and Ofsted inspections.
What counts as CPD for teachers?
Formal study (accredited qualifications), structured non-formal activity (observations, mentoring, conferences), and informal learning (reading, self-study modules) all count. The key is recording the date, duration, learning outcome, and impact on practice for each entry.
How do supply teachers track CPD hours?
Supply teachers should maintain a personal CPD log independently of any agency or school. Accredited qualifications provide the most portable, verifiable evidence. A digital spreadsheet or the ETF's own CPD recording template works for non-accredited activity.
Can I carry forward CPD hours from one year to the next?
Most professional bodies expect CPD to be distributed across the year rather than carried forward in bulk. Some will accept a shortfall in one year if the following year shows a compensating surplus, but this should be agreed in advance with your line manager or professional body.
How does Ofsted view teacher CPD records?
Ofsted's EIF (updated 2024) examines how well leaders develop staff. Individual CPD logs are not directly inspected, but inspectors interview teachers about their professional development. A clear, current log supports those conversations and demonstrates professional commitment.
One Last Thing
The 30-hour benchmark for FE was introduced by the Institute for Learning (IfL) in 2009 and has survived every subsequent policy review intact — including the transfer of responsibility to the ETF in 2014. It has outlasted multiple changes of government and two major FE funding reforms. In 2026, it remains the single most durable number in UK teacher CPD policy. If you remember nothing else from this guide, remember 30 hours.
