In the chaos of Term 1, with new students settling in, timetables shifting, and urgent admin piling up, professional development can quickly become just another box to tick.
However, one legal expert says schools’ HR staff must move beyond this simplistic approach if they want to create a culture where staff genuinely understand and embrace workplace policies like respectful conduct and safety.
“Schools can transcend ‘tick-and-flick’ training by implementing interactive, face-to-face sessions that foster genuine engagement with policies,” Megan Kavanagh, a partner in Colin Biggers & Paisley’s employment and safety team, told The Educator.
“These sessions should incorporate ‘real-world’ scenarios relevant to the school environment and create space for open discussions about challenging situations.”
Kavanagh said training must address specific school risks and cultural considerations, with policies and procedures communicated in a clear way through practical examples.
“Regular follow-up sessions and mentoring help embed learning effectively,” she said. “The key to success lies in visible leadership commitment, with senior staff actively participating and modelling desired behaviours throughout the organisation.”
Kavanagh said providing ‘one size fits all’ training is unlikely to equip managers to effectively avoid risks, adding schools should begin their improvement journey with risk assessments and culture reviews to identify specific challenges in their environment.
“This foundation enables the creation of differentiated training programs for various leadership levels, focusing on practical scenarios leaders are likely to encounter,” she said.
“Regular feedback sessions with staff can illuminate areas requiring additional support, while mentor programs enable experienced leaders to guide newer ones through situations they may face.”
Additionally, says Kavanagh, bringing in external experts for specialised training in high-risk areas adds valuable perspective.
“Regular audits of incident reports and staff feedback help identify emerging training needs and ensure continuous improvement.”
To document and demonstrate their compliance with training requirements in a way that stands up to scrutiny if legal issues arise, schools should implement documentation management systems and record-keeping practices that capture the full scope of the training conducted, Kavanagh said.
“This means maintaining detailed records of training content, learning objectives, and assessment methods, along with evidence of how different learning styles and language needs were accommodated,” she said.
“Documentation should include records of interactive elements and practical applications of learning, supported by follow-up actions and implementation strategies.”
Kavanagh said digital platforms can effectively track completion rates and comprehension levels, while maintaining clear records of how training content aligns with specific policies and procedures.
“Most importantly, schools must document how their training directly addresses identified workplace risks and statutory obligations.”