This policy sets out the framework for a clear and consistent assessment of the overall performance of members of staff, including the headteacher, and support staff, for supporting their development within the context of the School’s plan for improving educational provision and performance, and the standards expected of all employees in this School. It also sets out the arrangements that will apply when any member of staff falls below the levels of competence that are expected of them. This policy covers appraisal, applies to the Headteacher, and to all members of staff including support staff, employed by the school or local authority, except those on contracts of less than one term, those undergoing induction (ie NQTs), and those who are subject to the capability policy. The capability policy sets out the formal capability procedure and applies only to those members of staff (including the headteacher) about whose performance there are serious concerns that the appraisal process has been unable to address.
Appointing appraisers
The headteacher will be appraised by the Governing Body, supported by a suitably skilled and/or experienced external adviser who has been appointed by the Governing Body for that purpose. In this School, the task of appraising the headteacher, including the setting of objectives, will be delegated to a sub-group consisting of three (with a quorum of two) members of the Governing Body. In a School, at least one of these Governors should be a Foundation Governor. The headteacher will decide who will appraise other members of staff, taking into account the roles and responsibilities of both appraisers and appraisees
Setting objectives
The head teacher’s objectives will be set by the Governing Body after consultation with the external adviser. Objectives for each member of staff will be set before, or as soon as practicable after, the start of each appraisal period. The objectives set for each member of staff will be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound and will be appropriate to the member of staff’s role and level of experience. The appraiser and member of staff will seek to agree on the objectives but, if that is not possible, the appraiser will determine the objectives. Objectives may be revised if circumstances change. The objectives set for each member of staff will, if achieved, contribute to the School’s plans for improving the School’s educational provision and performance and improving the education of pupils at this school. In this School, each member of staff will have three objectives. At least two of these objectives will be directly linked to the School development plan, adapted to suit the particular role and responsibilities of that teacher. One of these objectives may be of a personal nature linked to the career aspirations of the member of staff concerned. The Headteacher will monitor planning statements for each member of staff in order to ensure consistency and relevance both to the School Development Plan and to the individuals concerned. Before, or as soon as practicable after, the start of each appraisal period, each member of staff will be informed of the standards against which that member of staff’s performance in that appraisal period will be assessed. All teachers should be assessed against the teacher’s standards and framework contained in the School’s Pay Policy. The headteacher or governing body (as appropriate) will need to consider whether certain members of staff should also be assessed against other sets of standards published by the Secretary of State that are relevant to them.
Assessment of performance
The assessment of a teacher’s performance, in line with the School’s pay policy, will comprise a judgment of overall performance as well as achievement of the appraisal objectives. “Overall performance” may be assessed using evidence from, for example, the following sources:
- Self-assessment
- Peer review
- Tracking pupil progress
- Lesson observation
- Views of parents, careers, and pupils (supported by professional evidence)
Judgments should be made against both conditional and absolute criteria. Conditional criteria are those which are exhibited in the behaviors of teachers who comply with the requirements of the Professional Standards; such behaviors are observable, but not necessarily quantifiable. They will usually be measured through appraisal objectives. Absolute criteria are those which can be clearly measured and should form at least part of the evidence submitted by the teacher as proof of overall performance. There are two effective quantifiable data measures
- Pupil progress: A judgment should be made, against expectations determined by the School, of the extent to which pupils make progress
- Broadly in line with expectations: which would lead to a judgment of “requires improvement”
- Better than expected which would lead to a judgment of “good”
- Significantly better than expected which would lead to a judgment of “outstanding.”
- Lesson observation outcomes: A judgment should be made about the extent to which teaching is habitually observed which
- requires improvement
- is good
- is outstanding
Lesson Observation
This School believes that observation of classroom practice and other responsibilities is important both as a way of assessing teachers’ performance in order to identify any particular strengths and areas for development they may have and of gaining useful information which can inform School improvement more generally. All observation will be carried out in a supportive way. The member of staff should be advised that it would be appropriate to consult with Trade Union representative or professional friend.
At this meeting the appraiser will:
- give clear feedback to the member of staff about the nature and seriousness of the concerns;
- give the member of staff the opportunity to comment and discuss the concerns;
- agree any support (eg coaching, mentoring, structured observations), that will be provided to help address those specific concerns;
- make changes, where appropriate to the member of staff’s appraisal objectives, so that they better reflect the areas for concern;
- make clear how, and by when, the appraiser will review progress (this will normally be a period of six to twelve weeks, depending on the nature and seriousness of the concerns identified, but must be sufficient to allow the member of staff to demonstrate improvement);
- explain the implications and process if no – or insufficient – improvement is made.
When progress is reviewed, if the appraiser is satisfied that the member of staff has made, or is making, sufficient improvement, the appraisal process will continue as normal, with any remaining issues continuing to be addressed through that process.
Annual assessment
Each member of the staff’s performance will be formally assessed in respect of each appraisal period. In assessing the performance of the headteacher, the Governing Body must consult the external adviser. This assessment is the endpoint to the annual appraisal process, but performance and development priorities will be reviewed and addressed on a regular basis throughout the year in interim meetings which will take place once a term. The member of staff will receive as soon as practicable following the end of each appraisal period – and have the opportunity to comment in writing on – a written appraisal report.
In this School, each member of staff will receive their written appraisal report by the headteacher.
The appraisal report will include
- details of the member of staff’s objectives for the appraisal period in question;
- an assessment of the member of staff’s performance of their role and responsibilities against their objectives and the relevant standards;
- an assessment of the member of staff’s training and development needs and identification of any action that should be taken to address them.
