Welcome back
As we begin the new academic year, and shortly a new appraisal cycle, there are some exciting and significant updates that may impact your school and appraisal processes:
– Updated Teacher Appraisal Guidance
– Removal of Performance Related Pay
– New partnership with The National College
– BlueSky Guidance and Training Webinars
Updated Teacher Appraisal
Guidance for Schools
The Department for Education (DfE) has recently updated its guidance on teacher appraisals, with a greater emphasis on professional development. These updates aim to make appraisal processes more transparent and supportive, prioritising teacher well-being and ongoing growth.
Key points in the update:
– The appraisal process should be non-bureaucratic and aim to reduce the admin workload.
– Informal, ongoing dialogue should be incorporated throughout the appraisal cycle.
– Schools should consider using online or electronic performance management solutions to help streamline the approach and assist with identifying CPD needs.
– Professional development should form a key component of teacher objectives.
Removal of the requirement for
performance related pay
The DfE has accepted the recommendations of the STRB to allow local authority schools to decouple pay and performance, giving all settings greater autonomy and flexibility to define pay scales.
What does this mean for schools?
– Schools can now review their pay policies to ensure they focus on collective endeavour and teaching practice
– Appraisal discussions can shift toward professional growth and development without being tied directly to pay increments
– The removal of PRP can support a more collaborative and supportive environment among staff.
Training Webinars: How to
set up the appraisal cycle
Our live training webinars are back to support schools in managing this process efficiently.
Don’t forget you can register for as many free sessions as you like.
New Partnership: BlueSky and
The National College
We are delighted to announce that BlueSky Education has joined the National Education Group (NEG), the market-leading provider of digital content and software solutions that empower education workforces worldwide.
BlueSky members will be able to seamlessly integrate the award-winning The National College CPD content with our award-winning appraisal and professional development solutions. This will make it easier for school leaders to implement a developmental approach to appraisal that is intrinsically supportive without adding to workload, in line with the latest Teacher Appraisal Guidance.
Author: Ally Sousa
