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How PM works
Performance management is the process for assessing the overall performance of a teacher or headteacher.
The process is carried out within the context of the individual's job description and the provisions of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) in England and Wales.
The aim is to make a plan for the individuals' future development in the context of the school's own improvement plan.
General advice
Arrangements for performance management in schools and colleges should be consistent with the principles and practice of equal opportunities and the legislative requirements and duties which apply to schools and local authorities.
Educational establishments need to ensure that their individual arrangements are managed effectively, transparently and fairly, and applied consistently. The Rewards and Incentives Group (RIG) has published a model policy for schools and colleges and guidance with the aim of ensuring this.
ATL has also produced a range of helpful resources. These include:
Performance management frequently asked questions and checklist
Guide on performance management for ATL reps
A handy leaflet setting out the basics on performance management
ATL's in-depth guide to performance management
Classroom observation
ATL does not believe that the new performance management system should lead to an increase in the number of classroom observations that members are subjected to. For details, see ATL's factsheet on classroom observation.
The RIG model policy on performance management includes a protocol for classroom observation.
Maintained schools in England
Professional standards provide the backdrop to discussions about performance and future development. The standards define the professional attributes, knowledge, understanding and skills for teachers at each career stage.
Details of the most recent professional standards for teachers are available on the Teaching and Development Agency (TDA) website.
The TDA website also provides advice on performance management, including extensive resources such as the regulations covering English schools and a series of 'How to sheets' which ATL helped to develop as a member of RIG.
Maintained schools in Wales
Performance management in Wales is based around the School Teacher Appraisal (Wales) Regulations 2002.
The Regulations provide for the appraisal of the performance of school teachers (including unqualified teachers) at community, voluntary and foundation schools with the exception of those employed in non standards settings, centrally employed teachers, those employed with contracts of less than a year, nursery teachers, teachers in pupil referral units and peripatetic teachers.
The Welsh Assembly Government has decided to extend the current regulations to include those teachers not statutorily covered. Regulations and guidance will be updated and revised in time for the beginning of the 2009/10 school year, and made available to all headteachers, governors, advisors and teachers.
Sixth form colleges
A framework setting out in detail how performance management should operate in sixth form colleges has been produced jointly by the unions and employers.
Teachers on the main scale should be set objectives as appropriate that indicate that they are working towards professional standards payments (PSP) standards.
Evidence from annual reviews can be used to support either the award of accelerated increments or be taken into account for established procedures for the consideration of the withholding of an increment where service is deemed not to be satisfactory. Colleges need to consider the support necessary to assist the member of staff to meet the necessary objectives.
Teachers on the professional standards payment scale will be expected to demonstrate the substantial and sustained maintenance of PSP standards, which must include the following:
classroom observation
professional characteristics
retention and achievement.
Teachers at management level will have their performance as managers assessed in addition to the assessment of their performance against the PSP criteria.
Within this framework, four areas of management responsibility should be considered:
managing people
managing resources
team achievement
planning and managing change.
Further education agreements
ATL and the national employers' body (the Association of Colleges) have a national guideline agreement in place for performance management arrangements in colleges and FE institutions.
Need further advice?
Your first point of contact is your ATL rep in your school or college. Your local ATL branch is also available to help with queries, or you can contact ATL's member advisors on tel: 020 7930 6441 or email us. You may also wish to call: the out-of-office-hours helpline, tel: 020 7782 1612; our stress helpline, tel: 08705 234 828; our crisis helpline, tel: 08705 234 838, or our personal injury claims line, tel: 0800 083 7285.
