When do your staff progress meetings occur? How is your annual appraisal process structured - and why? What research has gone into your policy? And, how does it relate to the School Development Plan?
These are the sorts of questions that you should be asking when strategically planning for your staff progress meetings. They occur in all schools, but how often do we systematically review the process that is in place?
The basic requirements
The DfE requires all schools to have an annual appraisal process in place for teachers and headteachers.
- There must be a written appraisal policy for teachers, including the headteacher. (It is also good practice to include teaching assistants and support staff).
- The appraisal policy is not applicable to those on contracts of less than one term or those undergoing induction (i.e. NQTs).
- Teachers’ performance objectives must be linked to improving the education of pupils, linking to the Teachers’ Standards.
- Teachers must receive a written appraisal report that assesses their performance, training and development needs and makes, where relevant, a recommendation on pay progression.
- Governing bodies must appoint an external adviser to advise them with appraising the headteacher. Their objectives should link to the Head Teacher Domains.
- In addition, it is considered good practice for learning walks/drop-ins to form part of the appraisal process.
These are the basic requirements for any appraisal structure, but it’s important not to have a ‘compliance mindset’ for structures around staff progress meetings. Just being compliant with the compulsory elements of the annual appraisal process takes the focus away from an invaluable process for improving teaching and learning.
Address concerns promptly
If you have concerns about performance, seek HR support quickly. This will ensure that low-level issues are ‘nipped in the bud’ and more serious issues managed safely and effectively. Address any concerns and put necessary support in place before the staff member’s appraisal.
If a member of staff has not responded to support provided then they must be notified in writing that the appraisal system will no longer apply. Their performance will be managed under the capability procedure.
Provide regular check-in points
An appraisal is just one of the meetings that should form part of the larger structure of staff progress meetings. There should be nothing said in an appraisal that comes as a shock to the staff member regarding their own performance.
Regular one-to-one meetings to monitor progress can be extremely effective. Use them to track progress towards each target that has been set.
Don’t obsess over evidence
Personal reflection is important, but it should not require mountains of paperwork or ‘proof’. Collecting evidence is not a requirement, and it can add to an already busy workload. Use the documentation collated throughout the year when reviewing teaching and learning to form part of the staff progress meeting structure.
Give colleagues ownership of their targets
Of course the appraisal structure will require the setting and reviewing of targets, linking to the Teachers’ (or headteachers) Standards. However, these targets should not be plucked from the air or decided before the meeting occurs.
Targets need to be owned by the member of staff who has to achieve them and they should inspire the individual to work towards them. Setting SMART targets allows the individual to break down and understand their targets much more easily.
Wherever possible, targets should feed into the School Development Plan for all members of staff. This will mean that staff work collectively on variations of the same goal (often linked to the school’s values and vision). A sense of community can be built by just sharing the SDP with all staff and explaining their role within the bigger picture of school improvement.
How to structure your progress meetings
Importantly, an appraisal shouldn’t be seen as a ‘tick-box’ exercise. It should be a process of ongoing reflection and evaluation that each teacher leads themselves. To facilitate this, set targets that are open-ended and enquiry based.
A collaborative structure that values conversations and takes the time to invest in training for mentoring and coaching will mean that ‘appraising’ your own practice and the practice of each other becomes part of the school culture.
In order for this to work, you will need to allow time for observations, feedback, research and enquiry across the school. Dialogue about theory and pedagogy should become the norm.
Mutual learning
Within this ultimate staff progress structure, everyone is aware that they can learn from each other.
The hierarchical approach of SLT observing the rest of the staff is replaced with peer-to-peer support. Indeed, SLT should be part of that process too and it may be that this structure works across schools, rather than it just being a process that your school goes through.
The staff progress structure should also allow for time to celebrate successes, consider wellbeing of the staff and allow an opportunity for each member of staff to feel appreciated.
Ultimately, our job as educators is to make a difference to the pupils in our care. Therefore, throughout the process of staff progress meetings, the question that we need to ask is “What positive impact have I had on our pupils?”.
How to structure an appraisal
- Be prepared
- Discuss previous targets and reflect
- Celebrate successes
- Think about the impact had on the pupils
- Set exciting, inspiring and achievable targets
- Remember the school development plan
- Discuss staff wellbeing
- Appreciate the staff member
- The meeting should be part of a much bigger structure
Jo Gray, Head of School Development and Literacy, One Education.
