One of the earliest decisions made by the current government when it assumed office in July last year was confirming the plan to remove performance-related pay from the pay guidance for schools.
This was an excellent move - there was little evidence that performance-related pay improved teachers’ performance, but plenty that it created a lot of additional workload for teachers and school leaders.
Alongside updates to the pay guidance, the Department for Education also issued updated guidance on appraisals. Given the quick turn around between the new government forming and the need to issue guidance, it is perhaps no surprise that changes were slight, and despite the removal of performance-related pay, there was still a strong focus on setting targets and measuring performance as the primary aim of line-management conversations.
At the Teacher Development Trust, we thought this missed a trick. The introduction of performance-related pay in 2014 was a symptom of a wider approach to performance management and appraisal that has existed in English schools for far longer - one that has focused more on compliance and control than on establishing structures for meaningful professional growth.
Even the most recent appraisal guidance frames professional development through the lens of remedial activity, positioning it as something to be offered ahead of any capability procedures, rather than as part of a positive conversation about how to help teachers grow.
A better approach to teacher appraisals
We wanted to better understand how the system evolved to bring us to this place and what could be done differently. So last autumn we began a piece of research into what an appraisal system that prioritised professional growth might look like; what the evidence tells us about how leaders should act within such a system; and how to balance development and accountability to ensure that all involved have faith in the system’s intent and outcomes.
Through reviewing the history of approaches in England, assessing the evidence of effective practice in education, and looking at other sectors, we have arrived at five broad conclusions that we believe should shape the future of teacher appraisal.
Appraisal is most effective when it:
- Prioritises development over high-stakes accountability.
- Employs multiple evaluation methods.
- Reduces administrative burden.
- Promotes teachers’ autonomy.
- Is implemented by well-trained leaders.
None of these conclusions feel very controversial, but they do call for a shift in mindset and practice.
For meaningful professional growth to happen, the system must support a degree of vulnerability, allowing teachers to be honest about their challenges without fear of negative repercussions.
Any conversations about capability need to be separated from the appraisal process, so we can move beyond a deficit model that seems to be trying to catch teachers out rather than lift them up.
Schools will also need to adopt more collaborative approaches that involve leaders and teachers working together in cultures of mutual support and relational trust. This could, for example, mean having conversations about how line managers can improve through development, drawing on feedback from all parties.
Some might see these shifts as letting teachers off the hook by holding them to a lower level of accountability, but our report suggests that such attitudes are ungrounded - based on misconceptions about teachers’ motivations and efforts - and that the negative impacts of punitive approaches are likely to swamp any positive effects.
Against the backdrop of a recruitment and retention crisis, it is more important than ever that teachers and school leaders feel valued. That doesn’t just come from a bigger pay cheque (though, of course, pay is important), but from how they are made to feel every day in school. Whether they feel trusted and supported; whether they feel they can learn and grow; whether they can see a positive future for the profession.
A more effective appraisal system, based on conversations that support the right professional development and meaningful growth, is a key part of how we make that happen.
We want to continue to work with teachers and school leaders to understand how our research can inform practice and what tangible changes might look like. We are therefore asking teachers and school leaders to join us on 19 June for a session to consider the challenges and opportunities around implementation.
If you have ideas to share or are keen to hear the experiences of others, please register here to join the discussion.
Gareth Conyard is CEO and Kathryn Morgan is an expert adviser at the Teacher Development Trust
