The teacher appraisal process should be “intrinsically supportive” and in a school culture that “values openness and fairness”, new guidance states.
The Department for Education updated its appraisal guidance for September this week.
Here’s what you need to know…
1. ‘Supportive and developmental’
The guidance includes new language which states the appraisals process “should be intrinsically supportive and developmental, conducted within a school culture that values openness and fairness”.
Appraisal should be a “non-bureaucratic process that recognises, encourages and validates a teacher’s commitment to professional development, pedagogical excellence and effective performance”.
It should offer a “supportive and safe environment where individual teachers and their line managers can have open and honest conversations about successes and areas for improvement”.
Appraisals should also “address the support that will be provided to enable all teachers to achieve their objectives and continue to meet the teacher’s standards”.
2. Reduce workload
“Reducing unnecessary workload” should be “at the forefront of any considerations around implementing appraisal processes”.
Policies and processes “should be proportionate and use evidence in appraisal decisions that is readily available from day-to-day practice in school”.
It should “not be necessary for staff to collate large portfolios of evidence for appraisal purposes”.
3. Follow an ‘appraisal cycle’
Schools and employees should finalise all objectives, success criteria and evidence that will be used. If agreement “cannot be reached”, they are “set by the appraiser”, and the employee can “record their disagreement in writing”.
In the spring and summer term, performance should be reviewed against the objectives and standards set out in the school’s appraisal policy.
Additional support can be provided to a teacher if “need is identified at any point”. This should be documented.
At the end of the appraisal year, teachers must receive an appraisal report which includes an “assessment against their objectives and success criterial and the relevant standards”.
It is also “important for line managers to also discuss workload, wellbeing, working hours, flexible working opportunities, and career aspirations in a supportive manner”.
4. Support before capability
Where there are concerns about aspects of a teachers’ work performance “at any point throughout the appraisal process”, teachers should receive “informal focused support”.
In “most cases” this should be “separate and come before any capability procedures are considered. This might include mentoring, training, or resources to address specific needs.”
Teachers and school leaders “should normally only enter capability procedures when there is unsatisfactory progress made with their work performance that the appraisal process, including the informal support mechanisms have been unable to address.”
This should be a “supportive process, where the facility to talk openly and honestly is central to the process, for both the individual teacher and their line manager”.
5. Provide support for ‘reasonable’ period
Informal support should be provided for a “reasonable period (for example a minimum of 6 weeks) to allow for performance improvement”.
“However, the duration should be determined based on the specific circumstances, with appropriate support in place to facilitate improvement.
“The line manager should meet with the teacher regularly to assess progress and ensure the agreed-upon support is being provided.”
6. Professional development ‘integral’
The guidance states that effective professional development “is an integral part of ensuring high-quality teaching that enables teachers to manage teaching and learning effectively”.
Schools should “consider how they establish strong professional development cultures which elevate the quality of teaching and ultimately improve pupil outcomes”.
Professional development “should form a key component of teacher objectives, ensuring their professional practice remains up to date with the latest methodologies, technologies, and educational research”.
7. Consider personal development needs
It is also “good practice for staff and leaders to consider the personal development needs of teachers alongside school improvement needs”.
The removal of the requirement for performance related pay “is to allow schools to have a greater opportunity to focus on professional development in objectives and appraisals”.
8. Updated capability guidance
The DfE has published new, separate guidance for the capability procedure. Much of it is similar or the same as the previous guidance, but there are some additions.
Additions include an instruction that notification of formal capability meetings “should never come as a surprise to the teacher concerned. Informal support and a performance improvement plan should mean that the teacher is fully aware”.
Teachers are also “entitled to reasonably request an alternative date where they are unable to attend the original date proposed (for example a date that is within five working days of the original proposed date)”.
