Smarter CPD: Why Starlight Is the Best Use of Your CPD Budget

In schools across the UK, professional development often takes the form of costly training days, external consultants, and cover-heavy INSET sessions. Yet ask most teachers and you’ll hear the same refrain: it wasn’t really relevant to me.

That’s where Starlight changes the game.

Starlight empowers teachers to access feedback on their own terms—whenever they choose. They record a lesson, upload it, and within minutes receive a personalised coaching report tailored to their practice. There’s no need for release time, no need for a supply teacher, and no need to wait for someone else to come observe them weeks later. This immediacy is more than a technical convenience—it’s a pedagogical revolution.

Autonomy Drives Growth

The autonomy Starlight gives teachers is powerful. Rather than being told when and how to engage with CPD, they choose the moment it matters most: after a tough lesson, before a new approach, or simply when they’re curious about what’s working. This autonomy taps into a key motivational driver—ownership—and gives CPD the relevance it often lacks.

Unlike external training that might generalise across subjects or phases, Starlight’s feedback is always rooted in their own classroom. It’s CPD that knows their students, their language, and their context—because it comes from their lesson.

Feedback That Mirrors What We Value in the Classroom

We ask our teachers to give students feedback that is specific, timely, actionable, and regular. These are the very principles that underpin Starlight. Why should adult learning look any different?

• Specific – AI identifies exact moments in the lesson where questioning was strong or could improve.

• Timely – Feedback arrives minutes after the lesson ends.

• Actionable – Teachers receive practical suggestions, not abstract theory.

• Regular – They can submit as many lessons as they like, as often as they like.

CPD That’s Just-in-Time, Not Just-in-Case

Traditional training often works on a “just-in-case” model—broad sessions designed to catch everyone, just in case it’s useful. Starlight operates on a “just-in-time” model: teachers get support exactly when they need it. That’s the model of learning we see in every other sector—from YouTube tutorials to AI-powered knowledge workers. CPD should be no different.

The Hidden Cost of Cover

INSET and external CPD days don’t just cost money in trainer fees—they create cascading costs through cover. The average cost of one day of supply cover in the UK ranges from £150 to £250 per teacher. For a whole staff training day, this can run into thousands of pounds—often for generic input that’s hard to implement.

By contrast, Starlight offers a dramatically more efficient model. With plans from just £10 per teacher per month, schools can provide unlimited, personalised, on-demand CPD—without anyone ever leaving the classroom.

Value Beyond Cost

This isn’t just about saving money. It’s about putting the right kind of CPD at the heart of your school culture: CPD that’s teacher-led, classroom-anchored, and instantly useful.

In a world of tightening budgets and growing expectations, Starlight is the best use of your CPD allocation. It empowers teachers, reduces workload, and provides real-time insight that transforms practice—quietly, consistently, and powerfully.

The Insight Engine is written by Adam Sturdee, co-founder of Starlight—the UK’s first AI-powered coaching platform—and Assistant Headteacher at St Augustine’s Catholic College. This blog is part of a wider mission to support educators through meaningful reflection, not performance metrics. It documents the journey of building Starlight from the ground up, and explores how AI, when shaped with care, can reduce workload, surface insight, and help teachers think more deeply about their practice. Rooted in the belief that growth should be private, professional, and purposeful, The Insight Engine offers ideas and stories that put insight—not judgment—at the centre of development.