From the Regional Training Officer

There seems to be some confusion in the South West Region about the guidelines for the new Continuing Professional Development which came into being this January.

How to gain CPD points

In the past, teachers needed to attend one In-Service Training day a year, but since January we have moved to a points system whereby teachers need to acquire 15 points per year. An IST day counts as 7.5 points, so attending two a year would give you 15 points. Attending a First Aid course would give you 5 points. If you acquire more than 15 points in a year, you may carry a maximum of 5 points forward to the following year.

Other ways of gaining points are:

  • Distance Learning IST: 7½ points
  • BWY Module: 1 point per hour
  • Directed Private Study: 5 points for minimum of 7 hours Home Study
  • Other yoga/relevant training events: 1 point per hour

This new system should make it easier for teachers to achieve the required 15 points because it is up to the teacher themselves to decide if the event they attend can count towards CPD. If it has a training element and adds to your development or helps and improves your teaching then it can count as CPD, and you must record this on your Record Sheet.

Organisations/organisers are not allowed to advertise events with CPD points as it is up to the teacher attending the event to decide whether it qualifies. However, if you attend a TRAINING day organised by a BWY Recognised Accredited Organisation, this can count as 5 points. Training should improve your professional development as opposed to your personal development.

CPD Record Sheet

I hope everyone has their CPD Record Sheet. All you need to do is record your training. You can ask for a receipt when you attend an event and attach it to your sheet to confirm you attended the training day. Records sheets are downloadable from the CPD Guidelines page.

If you decide to gain 5 points by Private Study, you can obtain the Record Sheet from Central Office and fill it in to explain how this has helped contribute to your teaching and CPD.

In this Summer’s Spectrum (page 12), the National In-Service Training Officer has set out all the points relevant to CPD. You can also find this information on the CPD Guidelines page where there is a link to the national BWY website for more in-depth information.
If you have any queries about CPD, contact .

I do hope this clarifies the new System. There is always a certain amount of hesitation and resistance to change, so I hope you can embrace the new rules as it is now completely up to you to decide whether an event you attend has contributed to your teaching. As long as you can justify what you learnt, where you learnt it, and how it helps with your teaching, then put it on your CPD sheet.

Jenny Kane