The School Workforce Development Board

The School Workforce Development Board (SWDB) is the sector-wide body concerned with training and developing the wider workforce. Chaired by the TDA, the SWDB was established in the autumn of 2004 to guide the TDA’s work on training and development for support staff.

The SWDB consists of representatives from the national bodies most closely involved in funding, promoting learning and skills, and providing training for school support staff.

More people are working in our schools than ever before, including almost half a million support staff. To provide the best possible outcomes for children, schools must create conditions that enable all staff to realise their potential: a culture where all staff are valued and enjoy high morale and job satisfaction.

Support staff who are well trained, fairly rewarded, and clear about their distinctive contribution, can be instrumental in the work of raising standards and enriching the lives of children

The SWDB consists of:

• the Department for Education and Skills,
• the Employers’ Organisation for local government,
• the Learning and Skills Council,
• the National College for School Leadership,
• the National Strategies,
• the national support staff Centre of Vocational Excellence,
• Ofsted,
• the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, and
• the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG, which includes workforce unions)
• The SWDB has recently published a three-year strategy for training and developing school support staff.
• The TDA’s strategic approach to achieving this is designed to benefit schools in three key areas:

1. Securing the supply of the school workforce through our promotion of the teaching profession and quality assurance for ITT. This will help schools to recruit sufficient good quality teachers to their workforce.
2. Supporting the development of the school workforce through our creation and promotion of professional and occupational standards, support of performance management arrangements and stimulation of a sufficient supply of high quality in-service training. This will help schools to increase the skill level of their workforce.
3. Supporting the ongoing modernisation of the school workforce, the wider education sector and children’s and young people’s services.

Further information can be found at www.tda.gov.uk