What are the cross-cutting themes

The cross-cutting themes are key themes with underpin the Professional Standards. It can be helpful to look across the Professional Standards to explore interdependencies, key themes and ideas and see how they can best support you in your role. The main cross-cutting themes are:

• learning for sustainability
• professional Values
• leadership
• additional support needs
• equality and diversity
• ethics and the teaching profession

It is the inter-relationship between these themes which enables teacher professionalism and leads to appropriate professional action and growth.

The Professional Standards are organised into 3 sections:

1. Being a Teacher (professional values and professional commitment, leadership and learning for sustainability)
2. Professional Knowledge and Understanding
3. Professional Skills and Abilities

These elements are inherently linked to each other, and one aspect does not exist independently of the others, and cross-cutting themes are naturally interwoven across these sections.