As appraisals will be underway in most schools, we set out some of the issues that cause head teachers the most concern and on which head teachers and governing bodies regularly find themselves challenged on.
1. Evidence, evidence, evidence…and pay
Schools should ideally set out, in their appraisal policies, what evidence they’ll consider when making judgements about whether teachers’ performance has met the relevant standards and their individual objectives and how the outcome of the appraisal process will feed into and determine pay decisions.
2. Equalities considerations
Schools should ensure all staff are treated fairly, and they should also take particular care in respect of those staff who have different working patterns, including part-time and fixed-term employees, or those with particular ‘protected characteristics’ under equality legislation – age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
3. Difficult conversations
Where a teacher doesn’t qualify for pay progression, the line manager or head teacher must be able to explain the evidence that was taken into account to support this decision. This, potentially difficult conversation, is made much easier if such shortfalls are signalled to individual employees at intervals throughout the appraisal period.
4. Training for appraisers
Schools should ensure all appraisers (including governors) are suitably prepared for carrying out all elements of the appraisal process and training is made available as necessary.
5. Career-stage expectations
Teachers’ performance should be assessed against the relevant standards to a level that is consistent with what should reasonably be expected of a teacher at the relevant stage of their career. Teachers, however, shouldn’t be routinely expected to provide evidence that they meet all the standards.
6. Informal stage (support)
Where informal support is provided, it’s important that the range of support offered is ‘front-loaded’. The maximum amount of additional support should be given at the commencement of the informal support stage and should then ‘taper off’ completely so that by the end of the period, an assessment of the teacher, without any additional support, can be made.
7. Appraisals for employees on maternity leave and other long-term absentees
To mitigate the risk of discriminating against employees on maternity leave or other long-term leave, schools should consider conducting appraisals before the employee goes on leave (even if this is early in the appraisal year) and then base any assessment of performance on the evidence in the relevant appraisal period. Account could also be taken of performance in previous appraisal periods if there’s very little to go on in the current appraisal period.
Assessment based on actual service will be easier to defend against criticism than speculative assessment based on what a teacher might have achieved during the year. Alternatively, an employee should be given the opportunity to make written representations so that a reliable appraisal can take place and be recorded as usual.
Similarly, employees returning from a career break may be unintentionally discriminated against because they have been absent from the workplace – if their absence is, say, related to their caring responsibilities, this is likely to be vulnerable to discrimination.
8. Conflict of interest
In any circumstances where an individual believes their participation in any part of the appraisal process amounts (or may amount) to a ‘conflict of interest’, they should declare this to their appraiser and/or absent themselves from any part of the appraisal process where they believe a ‘conflict of interest’ would or is likely to prevail.
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