As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an incredible year of growth, illumination, and innovation. From expanding our Teacher CPD Academy, delivering workshops to thousands of staff and students, attending festivals and conferences worldwide, and creating impactful resources, it has been a year to remember!
So, let’s look back at what we’ve achieved in 2024 and have a sneak peek at what’s in store for 2025…
A year of empowering educators with the Teacher CPD Academy
This year, our online platform, the Teacher CPD Academy, has gone from strength to strength. We’ve added new content, enhanced the accessibility and resources, and have worked tirelessly to create an indispensable professional development hub for educators worldwide.
New topic areas and content
One of the year’s most exciting developments was the addition of seven new topic areas, covering:
- Becoming Evidence-Informed
- Asking Effective Questioning
- SEND & Cognitive Science
- Oracy for Learning
- Clear Explanations
- Homework
- Developing Schema
These key areas empower teachers to address core aspects of effective teaching, helping to embed evidence-informed strategies into their classrooms.
We also launched four new ready-made lessons for staff to use with students during PSHE and citizenship sessions, on:
- Perfectionism
- Note Taking
- Fear of Failure
- Impostor Syndrome
The Cognitive Science Network
Additionally, subscribers can now enjoy resources tailored specifically for their Senior Leadership Team. This includes the Cognitive Science Network, which features live masterclasses presented by leading educators, to help SLTs embed evidence-informed practices school-wide.
For our audience across the pond, we also launched the Cognitive Science Academy in collaboration with the University of Indianapolis’s Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning, designed to support schools in the US in their Teaching & Learning journeys.
The Teacher CPD Academy book series
2024 also marked the debut of the Teacher CPD Academy Routledge book series. Each book in this innovative series covers a facet of the wide-ranging applications of Cognitive Science to Teaching & Learning. Plus, each one will be accompanied by an interactive training module on the Teacher CPD Academy itself.
The first book, The Homework Conundrum by Dr. Jo Castelino released to wild success earlier this year, and Blake Harvard’s Do I Have Your Attention? is now out! Coming up in 2025, you can also look forward to:
- Creativity for Teachers by Dr. Claire Badger & Dr. Jonathan Firth
- Unlocking Oracy by Nikki Sullivan, Kelly Heaton & Lucy Lowde
- The Scaffolding Effect by Rachel Ball & Alex Fairlamb
- Evidence-Informed Wisdom by Bradley Busch, Edward Watson & Matthew Shaw
- And more…
Want to learn how the Teacher CPD Academy can transform professional development at your school? Request a free trial today!
Inspirational events that made a difference
We took our events to new heights in 2024, bringing educators together online and in person to elevate learning, collaboration, and (of course) inspiration.
The Teaching & Learning Summit
The Teaching & Learning Summit 2024 was a standout moment for us. For the first time, this much-loved event spanned two days. Highlights included:
- Day 1: An exclusive evening with Doug Lemov, featuring an inspiring talk and an interactive Q&A session.
- Day 2: A full day of expert-led CPD sessions, with talks by Peps McCrea, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, and many others.
The event also offered unparalleled networking opportunities and plenty of resources for attendees to take back to their schools.
And we’re now gearing up for the 2025 edition, which will be started with an exclusive evening with Seven Myths About Education author, Daisy Christodoulou. Book your tickets now!
The 2024/25 Free Flash Webinar Series
We also ran 10 free flash webinars throughout the year. These 20-minute sessions covered topics ranging from exam preparation strategies to enhancing students’ oracy skills, offering actionable tips and evidence-informed inspiration for busy educators. Keep an eye out for more upcoming free webinars over on Eventbrite…
Spotlight on research: Teaching & Learning Spotlight
Our Teaching & Learning Spotlight project continued to grow in 2024. This quarterly magazine and webinar series, created in collaboration with Jade Pearce, has now covered 90 research studies, providing teachers with fresh research insights to elevate their practice. Plus, past issues are now included as part of a Teacher CPD Academy subscription!
But in 2025, we’re reimagining the Spotlight. Instead of its current paid format, we’ll be offering a free variation, helping to make these invaluable resources accessible to even more educators. Research in the hands of teachers is transformational, and we’re excited to expand its reach—so watch this space!
What we’re looking forward to in 2025
As we prepare for another year, our goals are clear: to illuminate, inspire, and support even more students and educators worldwide. Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming:
The Teaching & Learning Summit 2025
Join us for two days of CPD, collaboration, and inspiration, starting with an exclusive evening on Friday 14th February with Daisy Christodoulou, including a 90-minute talk on AI in education and a live Q&A.
We’ll be following that up on Saturday 15th February with an inspiring day of CPD talks from this stellar line-up of expert speakers: Laura McInerney, Blake Harvard, Jennifer Webb, Sufian Sadiq, Gary Aubin, Iro Konstantinou, Jonnie Noakes and our very own Bradley Busch.
We always leave this conference buzzing, inspired, and motivated (and with a goodie bag packed with free resources), and we know you will too. Book your ticket before they’re all gone…
Even more great Teacher CPD Academy features
Education is always evolving, and so is InnerDrive’s Teacher CPD Academy. This coming year, you can look forward to even more impactful topic areas and exciting new features.
In fact, we’re working on something big, and it’ll be launched in just a couple of weeks… So, stay tuned for our next exciting announcement!
Working with you!
We’ve had the privilege of helping staff and students in hundreds of schools around the globe. So, if you have big goals for 2025, we’d love to help you achieve them; get in touch with our team and let’s chat about how we can support your staff and students’ development this year!
Wrapping it all up
Finally, our blog has continued to be a trusted source of advice and inspiration, exploring the latest research and key strategies for staff and students alike. To close out the year, here are some of our top blogs from 2024, ready for you to revisit:
- How to write your school’s AI policy (with examples)
- PowerPoint Presentations: student attention and Cognitive Load
- What is “Variable Retrieval Practice”?
- Should students write their own flashcards?
- An overview of effective questioning in the classroom
Thank you for being part of our journey in 2024; see you next year!
