Professional Development Board

'Promoting Quality Standards'

What is it:

The Professional Development Board (PDB) was established in 2000, and reviewed and updated in 2008, with a goal to promote quality in the Professional Development (PD) for all practitioners in Physical Education and School Sport (PESS). This is both for the benefit of young people and also to raise standards in PESS.

The PDBs work contributes to ensuring PESS professionals have an entitlement to relevant and appropriate PD including high-quality learning, teaching and coaching. Through formal quality assurance the PDB will:

• Ensure that any development activities offered are of a consistently high standard
• Ensure that those offering and leading development activities are acknowledged by the Board as appropriate providers
• Promote the provision of a wide range and variety of appropriate PD opportunities including resources.

What can you apply for:

There will be one initial submission for approval and then you will be expected to complete a brief annual review in order to retain your approved status.

A - Approved Provider Status as an individual or organisation providing professional development
B - Approved Provider Status of a resource (e.g. DVD, book, web-based material, etc.)

How and when to apply:

Application submissions are accepted electronically on the 1st of each month.  All applicants will be notified in writing within two weeks.

Download a copy of the PDB application form by clicking HERE or a copy of the PDB renewal form by clicking HERE. If you would like to see a copy of an ‘exemplar’ application please request one by contacting  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Click HERE to download the PDB Flyer.

Please note: You may be called for an interview by the Professional Development Board to support your application. 

The following publication is available to support you through the PDB process:

LINKING CHILDREN'S LEARNING WITH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Impact, Evidence and Inclusive Practice - Jeanne K. Keay and Christine M. Lloyd 

Producing evidence that professional development undertaken has an impact on children’s learning is an increasingly important issue in education. This book proposes a process model designed to support and enable education professionals to focus on this issue as an integral part of their daily work. This model centres around the identification of professional learning needs in relation to the learning needs of children and focuses on evidence of impact as part of that process. For this model to work effectively, however, there must be a culture which supports, enables and recognises the value and importance of professional learning and development and which is inclusive and child centred. This culture, its elements and its development are also addressed and provide the context and underpinning for the model. In the second part of the book research undertaken to develop and pilot the model with a range of education professionals is discussed and the model is further developed to support education practitioners, leaders and professional development providers to ask questions that are specific to their roles and responsibilities.

This book will be of interest to a range of professionals teaching, leading, working, studying and researching in compulsory and post-compulsory education. It also has relevance for the increasing number of providers of learning and development opportunities for education professionals.

ISBN 978-94-6091-644-1 hardback USD99/EUR90

ISBN 978-94-6091-643-4 paperback USD39/EUR35

August 2011, 178 pages

Click HERE for more details and to purchase a copy.