Post-primary schools across Northern Ireland will retain access to the online Teacher CPD Academy for the 2026-27 academic year, Education Minister Paul Givan has announced. The extension secures continued investment in professional learning after more than 10,000 teachers engaged with the platform during 2025-26, logging over 45,000 hours of evidence-informed training.
The continuation of the partnership with InnerDrive—a UK leader in cognitive science-based educational training—marks a key milestone in the Department’s TransformED NI strategy, which aims to place teaching quality at the centre of education reform.
Academy Resources and Cognitive Science Focus
The CPD Academy provides on-demand professional learning covering cognitive science principles including Cognitive Load Theory, Retrieval Practice and Metacognition. Participating schools receive access to 20 self-access modules, live webinars, monthly masterclasses for senior leaders, classroom demonstration videos, and ready-made lesson materials for classroom use.
Developed by InnerDrive’s team of psychologists and educators, the platform also offers optional resources to support TransformED Development Days on topics such as Adaptive Teaching, Feedback, Modelling, Relationships and Behaviours, and Scaffolding.
Sustained Investment and Delivery Focus
Paul Givan emphasised that the extension demonstrates the Executive’s commitment to embedding evidence-based practice across the education system. He said:
“I am delighted to secure a further year of the CPD Academy. This continued investment reflects my clear commitment, through TransformED, to place high-quality teaching and learning at the heart of education reform.”
The Minister added that the focus now shifts firmly to delivery and building leadership capacity:
“As we move into the next phase of TransformED, our focus is firmly on delivery, supporting schools through sustained investment in professional learning, building leadership capacity and ensuring that effective practice is shared and embedded across the system. Extending this platform will empower educators with the knowledge and confidence to drive improvements in outcomes for all learners.”
TransformED Strategy and Demographic Pressures
The Academy forms part of the broader TransformED NI strategy launched in March 2025. Departmental documents indicate the strategy includes a £31 million Teacher Professional Learning fund distributed over three years. While the initial rollout in June 2025 saw significant uptake among post-primary institutions, the Minister has previously indicated hopes to launch a similar programme for primary schools “in the near future”—a commitment yet to materialise alongside this extension.
The continuation of the programme comes amid shifting demographics in the education sector. According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, post-primary pupil numbers dropped for the first time in nine years during 2025-26, falling by nearly 130 pupils to 156,763. This demographic shift, combined with existing concerns regarding teacher workload raised during the initial rollout, suggests the Department faces complex challenges in maintaining momentum for system-wide reform.
Outstanding Questions on Impact and Access
- How will the Department measure the direct impact of the CPD Academy on pupil attainment outcomes, rather than simply tracking teacher participation hours?
- Given declining post-primary enrolments, how might professional learning resources adapt to support a changing workforce while avoiding additional burden on remaining staff?
- When will primary school teachers gain access to similar resources, as suggested during the initial 2025 launch?
- What specific evaluation mechanisms exist to assess whether InnerDrive’s cognitive science approach delivers measurable improvements in Northern Ireland’s distinct educational context?
- How will the Department ensure schools with limited leadership capacity can fully utilise the platform’s resources, given the emphasis on “building leadership capacity”?
School Registration and Platform Access
Schools that confirmed participation will retain or receive registration for the 2026-27 academic year ahead of the new term. Educators can access the platform via the Teacher CPD Academy website, while further details on the TransformED strategy are available on the Department’s dedicated TransformED pages.