In December 1968, the Association for Teachers in Colleges and Departments of Education (ATCDE) called a meeting to establish a new ‘In-Service Section’. At that meeting Bob Gough, who was in charge of the Teachers’ Centre at Rachael Macmillan College of Education, met with Malcolm Lee from Doncaster Metropolitan Institute of HE and David Johnston from the Institute of Education, London University. Their friendship and continued collaboration marked the start of both an effective ATCDE In-service section and in 1974, the first issue of the British Journal of In-Service Education, today, the world renowned journal, Professional Development in Education.

It is important to understand the concept of In-Service at this time. A Schools Council had been established in 1964 which had given some thought to the In-Service situation but there was no co-ordinated plan. Teachers could opt to take an award bearing course as there were some secondments in those days, or to attend a Teachers’ Centre or to do nothing. A Committee of Inquiry on Teacher Education and Training set up in 1970 finally identified ‘In-Service’ as the third cycle and, importantly, recommended that teachers should be entitled to paid release for in-service education and training. Also that a network of ‘professional centres’ be established and that teachers in schools should have opportunities to take part in curriculum development projects. The landmark James report in 1972 then highlighted numerous concerns, in particular the overdependence on initial training as distinct from continuing education and training. Critically in 1987, ‘Specific Grants for INSET’ were introduced, the first major attempt to link policy and funding. This led to the establishment of many Departments of In-Service Education in both Colleges of Education and Universities.