Overview: Teacher CPD courses tool (international)
>>> Find out about the Teacher CPD tool and the International counseling CPD package in our upcoming webinar:
Mastering global admissions: inside Unifrog’s new CPD courses
When: Thursday 27 August @ 09:00 UK time
Duration 45 mins
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IN A NUTSHELL
Counselors and teachers can take accredited Career Professional Development (CPD) courses on Unifrog in the new Teacher CPD courses tool.
The courses are on demand, self-paced, and designed to supercharge professional practice at your school.
The courses help counselors and teachers feel more confident in supporting students applying to destinations around the world, in delivering SEL and PSHE, and in using Unifrog. They help you harness career development and counseling theory, and they are also very practical (for example, they feature practical exercises, and interviews with admissions officers at top universities).
The courses are accredited by an independent assessor, and can count towards hours or points for Continuing Professional Development.
The teacher CPD courses on how to make the most out of Unifrog are included as part of a normal Unifrog subscription.
The courses on other topics are available in our paid-for packages: International counseling CPD package and SEL & PSHE Resources and CPD package , which each cost £350 exVAT per year: a flat fee for all staff at your school to take best-in-class, accredited CPD courses.
If you want to add a paid-for package to your school's subscription please contact The Unifrog team at info@unifrog.org.
THE CPD COURSES THAT ARE LIVE NOW
Here are the CPD courses that are live for international schools now:
| THE CPD COURSES | THEME | HOW COURSES IN THE THEME ARE ACCESSED |
| Unifrog for teachers and counselors | 1. How to use Unifrog | Included for free as part of a normal Unifrog subscription. |
| College counseling basics | 2. Careers guidance and counseling | Accessed as part of the International Counseling CPD package |
| Supporting students applying to the US | 3. Pathways: International | |
| Supporting students applying to the UK | ||
| Supporting students applying to Canada | ||
| Supporting students applying to Europe | ||
| Supporting students applying to Australia and New Zealand | ||
| Delivering SEL in international schools | 4. PSHE / SEL | Accessed as part of the SEL & PSHE Resources and CPD package |
| Leading SEL in international schools |
HOW TO ACCESS THE COURSES IN THE TWO PAID-FOR CPD PACKAGES
The CPD courses in the theme ‘How to use Unifrog’ are included for free as part of the normal Unifrog subscription. The other courses come as part of one of two paid-for CPD packages:
- International Counseling CPD package (£350 ex VAT per year)
- SEL & PSHE Resources and CPD package (£350 ex VAT per year)
When your school subscribes to one of these two paid-for packages:
- The relevant courses appear for all teachers at your school in the CPD courses tool;
- Teachers can take the courses as many times as they like;
- When Unifrog later releases a new course within a paid-for package, it is automatically made live for teachers at your school - there is no extra cost.
Only teachers with Unifrog logins can take the courses.
To find out more or to purchase a paid-for CPD package, contact The Unifrog team on info@unifrog.org.
HOW TO FIND TEACHER CPD COURSES
You can get to the Teacher CPD courses tool from your teacher homepage, in the ‘What’s happening' section:
HOW TO TAKE A TEACHER CPD COURSE
Each teacher course is three to six sessions long, and takes between an hour and a half to six hours to complete.
The courses are fully online and self-paced. Counselors and teachers could do them all in one go, during training days, or across several weeks.
The course sessions are made up of a mixture of videos, text, reflective tasks, practice activities, and scenario-based exercises.
To start a course, open the course’s profile and click ‘Join course’:
HOW COURSE ACCREDITATION WORKS
CPD certification means a course has been independently reviewed against continuing professional development standards by an external assessor from the CPD Certification Service.
Many of the courses are CPD certified, and they are distinguishable by the CPD logo.
Once a teacher has completed all elements of a course, they receive a completion certificate as evidence of professional development, as well as useful links to additional resources.
ABOUT THE THEMES
Theme 1: How to use Unifrog
The courses in this theme are included for free in your school's subscription.
The courses in this theme introduce teachers to the Unifrog platform. Counselors and teachers learn to use a range of tools confidently and effectively.
An example course in this theme is ‘Unifrog for teachers and counselors’. Sessions cover the student tools, the teacher tools, and they go into detail on how to make the most out of the plug-and-play teaching resources on the Resources library. Check out this short video about the course:
Theme 2: Careers guidance and Counseling
The courses in this theme are included in the International counseling CPD package, which is a paid add-on to your school’s subscription; find out more about this package here.
The courses in this theme focus on the wider principles and practice of careers guidance and college counseling, and help counselors and teachers deliver professional guidance with confidence.
An example course in this theme is ‘College counseling basics’, where you learn what it takes to become a student-centred college counselor. Check out this short video about the course:
Theme 3: Pathways: International
The courses in this theme are included in the International Counseling CPD package, which is a paid add-on to your school’s subscription; find out more about this package here.
The CPD courses in this theme help counselors and teachers support students applying to destinations around the world.
The courses in this theme are:
- Supporting students applying to the UK
- Supporting students applying to Europe
- Supporting students applying to the US
- Supporting students applying to Canada
Supporting students applying to Australia and New Zealand
Note: we will make live courses for more country systems over time.
Each course in this theme is tailored to the relevant destination and helps staff understand:
- The structure of the education system
- Application routes and platforms
- Key terminology
- Entry requirements
- Application timelines
- What supporting documents are necessary
- How to help students research and compare options
- Common questions and challenges
As an example of a course in this theme, here’s a video introducing the ‘Supporting students applying to the US’ course:
Theme 4: PSHE / SEL
The courses in this theme come with the SEL & PSHE Resources and CPD package, a paid add-on to your school’s subscription. Find out more about the SEL and PSHE Package in our FAQs here.
The courses in this theme help teachers and counselors deliver and lead SEL in their school.
Along with the teacher courses, the package includes the SEL and PSHE lesson pack (82 plug-and-play lessons for students).
The courses in this theme are:
- Leading SEL in international schools
- Delivering SEL in international schools
As an example, here’s a video introducing the ‘Leading SEL in international schools’ course:
THE PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH BEHIND THE CPD COURSES
The activities in the courses are grounded in career development and counseling theory, including Egan’s Skilled Helper Model, Rogers’ person-centred counseling, the Law and Watts DOTS model, the Karpman Drama Triangle, and reflective practice models developed by Schön, Gibbs, and Driscoll.
The courses are also very practical - in every session teachers engage with interactive tasks and reflective exercises designed to support day-to-day work with students. They feature interviews with admissions officers at top universities, and videos of experienced counselors giving tips on teaching sensitive SEL and PSHE topics.
The courses have been created by our level 7 registered career development professional (RCDP) with a master’s degree in careers guidance, along with our team of course writers, made up of former teachers with over 50 years’ teaching experience between them.
The courses have also had expert external input: our partner universities have provided insider information on current university systems across the world, and the CPD Certification Service have reviewed the courses against their own rigorous criteria.
CONNECTING WITH COURSE SPONSORS
If the course is sponsored by one of Unifrog’s university or employer partners, you can choose to share your contact details with the sponsor. You can change your mind at any time by going back to the course’s page.
Sharing your contact details means they can be in touch with you with opportunities for you and your students, like professional fellowships, bursaries, or subject masterclasses.
FAQs ABOUT THE COURSES AND THE PAID-FOR PACKAGES
Rather than subscribing to a whole CPD package, can I just buy access to some of the courses within them?
No, we only sell the paid for courses within complete packages.
How long does a licence for a package last?
A license for each CPD package lasts for one, two or three years, according on what your school subscribes to. Each year we review our courses to update them to reflect changes in admissions systems, counseling practice, and partnerships.
How do I add a CPD package to my school’s subscription?
Get in touch with The Unifrog team on info@unifrog.org for more information or to purchase the CPD packages.
How do I know if my school has subscribed to a CPD package?
You can see if you have access to the course themes that come as part of the paid-for CPD packages:
Once my school subscribes, how do counselors and teachers access the courses in the packages?
Once your school purchases a CPD package, staff can take the courses that come with each package in the Teacher CPD courses tool, accessible via their teacher homepage:
Do the courses provide professional accreditation for counselors and careers advisers?
The courses are certified as professional development, but they are not counselor professional accreditation programmes. They provide additional support in specific areas of counseling and careers advice.
Do the courses in the packages cover how to use Unifrog?
The courses in these packages are not specifically about using Unifrog, but they bring in specific tools where relevant, for example the European shortlisting tool in the ‘Pathways: international’ course on supporting students' applications to Europe.
On the Teacher CPD tool there are courses specifically on how to use Unifrog, in the ‘How to use Unifrog’ theme. The courses in this theme are included for free in your normal Unifrog subscription.
Are there any free CPD courses for teachers on Unifrog?
On the Teacher CPD courses tool, the courses within the theme ‘How to use Unifrog’ are included for free in your normal Unifrog subscription.
The other courses in the Teacher CPD tool come as part of paid for CPD packages that are additional to your normal Unifrog subscription.
Can non-counselors complete the courses in the CPD packages?
Absolutely! Your licence is for all staff. If you don’t have a dedicated counselor or counseling team, another member of staff can use these courses to support your students. They’re also useful for staff who aren’t counselors but are interested in becoming one.