Performance Management Challenge for Schools PM workshops

1. Performance Management Challenge for Schools PM workshops 23 October 2006

2. Performance Management Challenge • As a teacher, there has to be a link between my objectives and the pupils’ progress. • Yes. 13 (3) The reviewee’s objectives shall be such that, if they are achieved, they will contribute to improving the progress of pupils at the school. • I am a teacher with two line managers. The head has told me that each line manager will act as a reviewer and that I should hold planning meetings with each. • No. 11 (3) Where the teacher has more than one line manager, the head teacher may delegate the reviewer’s duties, in their entirety, to the line manager whom he considers would be best placed to manage and review the teacher’s performance. • As a head teacher, if I have concerns that an individual’s planning statement does not meet all relevant requirements, I can instruct the reviewer to prepare a new statement. • Yes.15 (4) Where [having reviewed a plan] pursuant to paragraph (1), the head teacher is of the opinion that any such plan — (a) is inconsistent with the plans recorded in the statements of other teachers at the school who have similar experience or similar responsibilities; or (b) does not comply with the performance management policy or any relevant requirement in these Regulations, he shall instruct the reviewer to prepare a new plan and statement • I am a reviewer, and I have some concerns about the standard of teaching performance of one of my reviewees. I can therefore simply undertake some additional classroom observations as long as it is against specific aspects of their teaching performance. • No. 17 (5) Where evidence emerges which gives rise to concern about the reviewee’s teaching performance, classroom observations may be arranged in addition to those referred to in paragraph (4) [ie agreed at the planning stage and within the three hour limit] • 17 (6) Where it is considered appropriate to arrange additional classroom observations pursuant to paragraph (5) the head teacher shall ensure that a revision meeting is held and that details of any such observation are inserted into an addendum to the statement pursuant to regulation 16.

3. Performance Management Challenge • Having been told that my line Manager is to be my reviewer, I have had some professional disagreements with her in the past and have some concerns about her suitability to carry out that responsibility. I will therefore be writing to the Head requesting that a different reviewer be appointed. • Yes. 11 (5) Where a teacher is of the opinion that the person to whom the head teacher has delegated the reviewer’s duties is unsuitable for professional reasons, he may submit a written request to the head teacher for that reviewer to be replaced, stating those reasons. • I have just held a planning meeting with one of the teachers for whom I am a reviewer, and we have not been able to agree on one of his objectives. I will therefore decide on the wording myself and include it in the planning statement. • Yes 13 (5) Where a joint determination cannot be made in relation to any of the matters referred to in paragraph (1), the reviewer shall make a determination. • As I am a head teacher, it’s fine for the governing body to delegate responsibility for undertaking my review to the chair of Governors by himself for the forthcoming year. • No. 10 (2) The governing body may appoint two or three governors to perform the duties imposed upon the reviewer on behalf of the governing body. • Teachers’ work-life balance and their professional aspirations have to be taken into account in the planning meeting. • Yes. 13 (2) (d) what can be reasonably expected of any teacher in that position given the desirability of the reviewee being able to achieve a satisfactory balance between the time required to discharge his professional duties and the time required to pursue his personal interests outside work, and (e) the reviewee’s professional aspirations • Next term [the summer term] I will be moving to a new post within my school on a permanent basis. The head has told me that she wants me to start the cycle again with a new reviewer. However, as my line manager and I have the right to choose, we have decided to continue with the existing arrangements for the remainder of this cycle. • No. 12 (5) Where the teacher moves to a new post within the school, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, part-way through his cycle, the head teacher or, in the case where the teacher is to be the head teacher, the governing body, shall determine whether the cycle shall begin again and, if so, whether to appoint a new reviewer or reviewers, as the case may be.

4. Performance Management Challenge • My school has a very competent person within the support staff who has an excellent HR background and skills. I am a teacher, and the Head has appointed her to be my reviewer. • No. 11 (1) Subject to the following paragraphs of this regulation, the headteacher shall be the reviewer for all other teachers at the school. • (2) In the case where the headteacher is not the teacher’s line manager, the headteacher may delegate the duties imposed upon the reviewer, in their entirety, to the teacher’s line manager. • I am a teacher employed at a school for a fixed, two term contract. I am therefore exempt from the Performance Management regulations. • No. 12 (3) Where a teacher is employed at the school on a fixed term contract of less than one year, his performance shall be managed throughout the life of the contract and reviewed at the end of the contract. • I am a reviewer, and over the last 2 weeks I have carried out review meetings for the three teachers for whom I am the reviewer, the final meeting took place this morning. I have 5 days from now in which to provide the three teachers with a draft copy of their own individual planning and review statement. • No. 14 (1) Within 5 days of the planning meeting, the reviewer shall (a) prepare a planning and review statement in respect of the reviewee in draft …….. and (b) pass the draft statement to the reviewee • The objectives for all teachers and headteachers must be considered in the context of the School Improvement Plan. • Yes. 13 (2) The matters referred to in paragraph (1) shall be determined with regard to … (c) any relevant whole-school or team objectives specified in the School Improvement Plan.

5. Performance Management Challenge • I am a headteacher and the Governing body has directed me to formulate a new performance management policy for the school. This policy must include a classroom observation protocol • Yes.7 (9) The performance management policy shall … (e) include a classroom observation protocol • As a reviewer, I need to agree at each reviewee’s planning meeting a broad overview of how their performance in the classroom will be observed, but we do not need to discuss any further details at that stage as long as the teacher is happy. • No. 17 (1) The arrangements for classroom observation recorded in the reviewee’s statement shall (a) specify the primary purpose of each observation to be undertaken; and (b) … specify any particular aspects of the reviewee’s teaching performance that will be assessed during each observation • At the end of the cycle, each reviewer shall meet with the headteacher to jointly determine a recommendation on pay progression for each eligible reviewee. • No. 18 (1) At or near the end of each cycle the reviewer or in the case where the reviewee is the headteacher all the reviewers and the external adviser or the SIP as the case may be, shall meet with the reviewee to …18 (1) (b) where the reviewee is eligible for pay progression under the Document, determine the recommendation on pay progression, having regard to the results of the review referred to in sub-paragraph (a). • The headteacher can replace, at any time, a reviewer who, for professional reasons, is no longer suitable to carry out that role. • Yes. 11 (9) Where the head teacher decides at any time that the person to whom he has delegated the reviewer’s duties is no longer suitable, for professional reasons, or is no longer able to perform those duties for any reason, he may perform those duties himself or delegate them, in their entirety, to another teacher • Once the reviewer has completed the planning statement at the start of the cycle, and passed a signed copy to the headteacher, it cannot subsequently be amended. • No. 15 (2) (a) and (b) outline the circumstances in which the headteacher shall instruct the reviewer to prepare a new plan and statement. 15 (3) and (4) outline the process for doing so. Section 16 outlines the process for ‘revision meetings’ and other circumstances in which the statement may need to be changed

6. Performance Management Challenge • The planning meeting is the opportunity for reviewees to agree with their reviewer the support they will need to help with the achievement of objectives and to also raise their training & development needs. • Yes. 13 (1) At the beginning of each cycle, the reviewer …. shall arrange a meeting with the reviewee … to consider and determine - (e) The support that will be provided to the reviewee to help him to meet the performance criteria; (f) the timescales for the achievement of the objectives and within which support will be provided, where those differ from the length of the cycle of the reviewee; and (g) the reviewee’s training and development needs and the actions which will be taken to address them. • As a headteacher, I need to make sure that newly qualified teachers undergoing their induction period are included in these arrangements. • No. 5 (2) (a) These regulations shall not apply to the performance of – (a) any teacher who is undertaking but who has not satisfactorily completed an induction period. • I am an unattached teacher working for more than one LA. I should expect each LA to appoint a reviewer to review my performance. • Yes. 24 (2) Where an unattached teacher is employed by more than one authority, each authority shall comply with this regulation in relation to that teacher. • My school has a very successful system of peer appraisal which works well because all the reviewers have been trained. We believe we can continue to use this system and meet the new requirements • No. 11(1) Subject to the following paragraphs of this regulation, the head teacher shall be the reviewer for all other teachers at the school. (2) In the case where the head teacher is not the teacher’s line manager, the head teacher may delegate the duties imposed upon the reviewer, in their entirety, to the teacher’s line manager.