Performance management

Overview

The performance management process provides teachers, headteachers, unattached teachers and those assisting teaching with the opportunity to:

• reflect on and assess their practice against the backdrop of the relevant professional standards
• use relevant data and evidence to consider the impact of their practice on learner outcomes
• have their practice observed; discuss and formally record their achievements against objectives with their manager
• understand how their objectives and professional learning priorities contribute to the wider school development priorities and strategic planning
• set objectives for the following year
• discuss the development and support required to further enhance their effectiveness in the following year.

The School Teacher Appraisal (Wales) Regulations 2011 can be found on the Legislation website.

Experienced teachers

Teachers will discuss with their appraiser their contribution to improving outcomes (including well-being) for learners in their assigned classes. Reference may be made to relevant data and evidence. Within the context of the school’s improvement priorities and the job description of the practitioner, the relevant professional standards may be used as a backdrop to assist in identifying specific objectives for development. Professional learning activities which will support the achievement of these objectives will also be identified. The process will be recorded by updating the professional learning passport (PLP). In setting objectives the appraiser will have regard for the teacher’s work life balance.

Newly qualified teachers (NQTs)

While teachers undergoing their statutory induction period are exempt from the performance management regulations, newly qualified teachers (NQTs) will undertake a similar process where they will discuss with their mentor how they will evidence their work against the relevant professional standards . NQTs are required to demonstrate that they meet the relevant descriptors in the professional standards in order to complete their induction successfully. All NQTs will complete an induction profile in the PLP. Following induction, all teachers will update their PLP throughout their career.

Newly qualified teachers who began their induction prior to 1 September 2017 will continue their induction using the practising teacher standards they commenced with. Following the successful completion of their induction period, they will adopt the new professional standards for teaching and leadership.

Practising headteachers

Headteachers will follow a similar process to that of experienced teachers. They will agree their objectives in discussion with an appraisal panel made up of governors and where appropriate local authority representatives. The discussions will be informed by the progress the school has made against national averages, similar schools and prior attainment and the contribution the headteacher makes towards securing accountability for improvement. When agreeing objectives for further improvement the panel will take into account their responsibility for considering the headteacher’s work life balance and the contribution of the headteacher to the wider educational system. Headteachers will record their involvement in the process by updating their PLP.

Support staff and other members of the school workforce

Many schools have performance management arrangements in place for their support staff. We will consider introducing legislation to enable performance management to become statutory for all school staff including TAs and HLTAs, following the outcome of the consultation on professional standards for assisting teaching.

The summary performance management cycle is illustrated below.

Outline performance management cycle

Before cycle commences:

• school performance management policy agreed
• appraisers appointed
• timing of cycle set.

Professional learning passport

The professional learning passport (PLP) is the online platform designed for all practitioners to reflect on their practice, identify professional learning and record progress. Practitioners should use it to gather evidence as part of the performance management cycle. The PLP is ‘portable’ and will follow the practitioner throughout their career.

You can access your Professional Learning Passport (PLP) on the Education Workforce Council (EWC) website (external link).

Performance management guidance

This guidance outlines the practice and procedures required by the School Teacher Appraisal (Wales) Regulations 2011 that came into force on 1 January 2012.