Headteachers’ Appraisal: Performance and Pay Review

Name Alan Jenner

Job title Senior Adviser, Workforce Development and Head of Governor

Services

Date 21 October 2014

Intended Outcomes

Governors will:• Have a better understanding of headteacher

appraisal and performance review

• Consider the issues and implications in carrying out a review of their headteacher

• Have the opportunity to share problems and solutions

Performance Management

What you MUST do:• Have a written policy• A link between performance and pay• A link between appraisal and professional

development• A process that contributes to school improvement

and pupil progress• A written assessment recording the outcomes

Performance Management

What the GB decides to do:

• the processes involved in establishing the policy and the timescales associated with it

• who reviews performance• the detail of the meetings, the arrangements for the

observations; what should be recorded and how • the arrangements for appeals, how written

assessments should be used and how to report to governors

Performance Management

The GB MUST:

• Establish the school’s appraisal policy, monitor the operation and outcomes of appraisal arrangements, and review the policy every year

• Agree for some governors to review the head teacher’s performance on an annual basis

• Appoint an external adviser to advise appointed governors on the head teacher’s performance

• Retain a copy of the head teacher’s appraisal statement (normally the Chair)

Performance Management

The GB MUST:

• Where the head teacher makes such a request, to action requests for evidence from the performance management process if the head teacher transfers mid-cycle

• Ensure the content of the head teacher’s appraisal statement is drafted having regard to the need to be able to achieve a satisfactory work life balance

• Undertake action in relation to appeals in line with the school’s policy

Role of the External Adviser 2014

S/he will:

• be the school’s Link Adviser or some other external person• Remind the appointed governors that it is their responsibility

to manage the process • Ensure governors assess the headteacher against the Teacher

Standards first• Ensure the headteacher’s objectives reflect the main

priorities in the school development plan• Not advise the governors on pay progression

Task 1:

• What do you think the objectives for your headteacher could be?

• Share with a partner

• Feedback to the whole group.

The Ofsted Framework 2014Key changes regarding appraisal

Quality of Leadership and Management

Inspectors should consider the school’s use of:• performance management …… and effectiveness of strategies for improving

teaching ……. This is demonstrated through:I. Effectiveness of procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching …. And how

underperformance is tackledII. Strong link between performance management, appraisal and salary progressionIII. How well the headteacher …..are managing staff performance and using budget to

differentiate between high and low performersIV. The coherence and effectiveness of the programme of CPD and the opportunities

provided for promotion• Where performance is less than good inspectors will seek evidence that this is

rigorusly managed and that appropriate training and support is provided. Where performance is good, inspectors will seek evidence that this is recognised through the performance management process

Quality of Leadership and Management

Inspectors should consider whether governors:

• provide challenge and hold the headteacher and other senior leaders to account for improving the quality of teaching, pupils’ achievement and pupils’ behaviour and safety, including by using the data dashboard, other progress data, examination outcomes and test results; or whether they hinder school improvement by failing to tackle key concerns or developing their own skills

• monitor performance management systems and understand how the school makes decisions about teachers’ salary progression , including the performance management of the headteacher, to improve teaching, leadership and management

Task 2:

• As an individual consider the implications of the new Ofsted Framework

• Decide what it means for your governing body? For the school? and for you?

• Share with a partner – feedback to the whole group.

Headteacher AppraisalThe Performance Review

Planning and Review Meeting

Recommended good practice is that at the planning meeting the appraiser and appraisee will:

• seek to agree the objectives, the observation (if appropriate) and any other evidence;

• Agree on the success criteria for each of these objectives against which the totality of the teacher’s performance will be assessed at the end of the cycle

• Assess the headteacher against the National Standards and other relevant standards as determined by the Secretary of State

Task 3:

• Look again at setting objectives. What would you change?

• Where would you take the success criteria from? What do they look like?

• Feedback – share.

In Summary….

• Annual process but can be done at any time• Pre-meeting with the external adviser for

headteacher • Pre-meeting with external adviser for governors • An in-the-round evaluation of the previous year’s

work, based on the discussions with external adviser and then with the headteacher

• A judgement on the degree to which last year’s objectives were met

….Continued

• Set new objectives, making sure they are written in such as way as they will be measurable at the next annual review

• Ensure training needs are recorded and actioned • Consider a mid-year interim meeting to consider progress

against objectives • Make a pay recommendation and RECORD IT ON THE FORM.

Governors must do this themselves since the external adviser should not get involved with pay recommendations

• The external adviser CAN advise on technicalities of pay scales and ISRs.

Headteacher AppraisalDetermining the right salary range

The School Teachers’ Pay Conditions Document 2014; The Main Changes

• Revised framework for setting pay for leadership positions. • Simplified leadership pay arrangements – including bringing leadership allowances into base

pay, save for exceptional, time-bound payments e.g. for relocation/housing. • Removal of prescribed differentials between allowances. • Removal of existing requirement for pay differentials between roles. • Closure of the Chartered London Teacher scheme, with a two-year transition period. • Consolidation of the existing safeguarding provisions. • Removal of the detailed list of 21 administrative/clerical tasks. • Amendments to ensure that unattached teachers are treated in the same way as all other

teachers with regard to non-portability of salary between schools. • Section 3 is now significantly shorter than the 2013 version. • Removal of the non-statutory Section 4 guidance. • A small number of revisions to reflect necessary updates which have arisen since the

Document was last published, in September 2013.

To determine the headteacher’s salary range….

• First– Work out the school’s group size

• Secondly– Look up the group salary range

• Thirdly– Consider and decide on the Individual School

Range (ISR)– Take into account the recruitment situation

Working out the school’s group size

1. Work out the total unit score, based on pupil numbers in each key stage

2. Use the total unit score to find the school’s group size

Step 1: Total Unit Score

Key stage Units per pupil

EYFS 7

1 7

2 7

3 9

4 11

5 (VI form) 13

WorksheetA B C D

Key stageNumber of

pupilsUnits per

pupilUnit score

(B x C)

EYFS 7

1 7

2 7

3 9

4 11

5 (VI form) 13

Total

Look the group sizeTotal Unit Score School group

Up to 1,000 1

1,001 to 2,200 2

2,201 to 3,500 3

3,501 to 5,000 4

5,001 to 7,500 5

7,501 to 11,000 6

11,001 to 17,000 7

17,001 and over 8

Group sizes in Special Schools

• In special schools, the calculations are modified

• The calculations are too complicated for this course, but the full instructions are included in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document

School Group Size and Pay Ranges (2013) CHECK

GroupRange of spine

pointsInner London Salary Range

1 L6 – L18 49,961 – 64,667

2 L8 – L21 52,128 – 69,059

3 L11 – L24 55,656 – 73.780

4 L14 – L27 59,287 – 78,853

5 L18 – L31 64,667 – 86,238

6 L21 – L35 69,059 – 94,386

7 L24 – L39 73,780– 103,319

8 L28 – L43 80,364 – 113, 303

The School’s ISR

• Headteachers must be paid on an Individual School Range, or ISR

• The ISR must be set by the relevant body• The ISR must have SEVEN CONSECUTIVE POINTS• The ISR is an issue for governors to decide WITHIN

THE GROUP• Remember, what you pay the head teacher should

be fair. It should not be over-generous!

Rules about setting ISR

• The ISR should not normally exceed the top of the group range

• The headteacher’s salary must be paid in line with the ISR. It is not possible to pay more than the ISR – or less

• The ISR for the headteacher must be set at least one point higher than the ISR for a deputy headteacher or the equivalent salary of the highest-paid classroom teacher.

Flexibility over ISR (up to 31 August 2014)

• A school may fix its Individual School Range (ISR) above the Group Range if:– The school is a school causing concern– The governing body considers the school would

have substantial difficulty in filling a vacant headteacher post

– There is evidence that the school would have difficulty retaining the current headteacher

– The headteacher is head of more than one school

Pay ranges for headteachers should not normally exceed the maximum of the headteacher group. However, the headteacher’s pay range (where determined on or after 1 September 2014) may exceed the maximum where the relevant body determines that circumstances specific to the role or candidate warrant a higher than normal payment. The relevant body must ensure that the maximum of the headteacher’s pay range and any additional payments made under paragraph 10 does not exceed the maximum of the headteacher group by more than 25% other than in exceptional circumstances; in such circumstances, the governing body must seek external independent advice before providing such agreement and support its decision with a business case.

Determining the headteacher’s salary (from 1 Sept. 2014)

Pay Review

•Pay decisions must be clearly attributable to the performance of the individual; •sustained high quality of performance having regard to the results of the most recent appraisal carried out in accordance with the 2012 or the 2011 Regulations or the objectives agreed or set under paragraph 11.2(c) (as the case may be) should give the individual an expectation of progression up the pay range;

Case studies

• The headteacher of a Group 4 school has been in post for twelve years and is paid at the top of the ISR. The school does reasonably well on all performance measures but has more-or-less static results. The governors think the head teacher deserves a pay rise, particularly since he is coming up for retirement. What are their options?

• The school has had static results at about the national average for four years. This year, they shot up. Should the performance review committee recommend a pay rise for the head teacher?

More case studies

• The headteacher took up her appointment two years ago and was appointed at point four of the school’s ISR. Since that time the school has been bumping along the bottom of the performance tables and there has been little improvement in results. The headteacher has been making representations about her salary, which she says is lower than most of her colleagues. What should the governors do?

• The headteacher is at the top of his scale (ISR). The school is doing well and the headteacher is keen to get a pay rise. He tells you he has been approached by another school asking him to apply for the headship. He tells you the governing body is offering at least £20,000 per year more than he is currently earning. What should governors do?

The Quiz!

Recording decisions

• The headteacher’s annual appraisal statement should ALWAYS make a pay recommendation. It could be:

I. to offer pay progression of one (or possibly two) points II. not to offer pay progression because performance has not been

sustained and of high qualityIII. that there is no available pay progression because the headteacher

has reached the top of the ISR– The external adviser could be asked to record the decision on the

Appraisal Statement but should not be otherwise involved!

• All pay decisions, and their reasons should be minuted formally• The minutes of the pay committee should be signed as an accurate record• Any decisions not correctly minuted and explained could be held to be

illegal and not binding

• Minutes should be stored securely• Consider a locked filing cabinet in school

– Consider lodging the key with the Chair of Governors with a spare held by the school’s Human Resources provider or other reliable and ongoing outside organisation

– Make sure the governing body has a formal minute showing the arrangement…

Storing confidential minutes and review statements

Useful Website

• School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) 2014

– This is a much shorter document than previous years and outlines the statutory position on pay

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions-2014

Useful Website

• Appraisal and Capability• http://www.dfe/aboutdfe/statutory/g00213138/teacher-

appraisal-and-capability

• Schools must have an appraisal policy for teachers and a policy, covering all staff, which deals with lack of capability.

• The guidance:• provides a model policy for schools set out in two parts:I. covers appraisal; andII. covers capability.

• gives a limited amount of advice on using the policy.