Although it sounds as if I am wishing the summer away, before we know it the new school year will have started. And with it comes Headteacher appraisal season.
Even though the board of governors should arrange and manage this process, in my experience, it is often the headteachers themselves who organise the meeting, arrange the external advisor, agree on a convenient date with all parties and ensure the obligatory tea and biscuits.
So, with apologies for adding to the ‘to-do’ list this week, it might be worth considering the following:
- If needed, remind governors of their responsibility to oversee Headteacher Appraisal, the timings involved, and the need for requisite training by any governors who will be on the panel.
- Signpost newly appointed governors to relevant training. Worryingly, in my experience, it is quite rare that all three governors on the panel have undertaken appraisal training. At least if governors are reminded now, they have a few months to access training and prepare effectively.
- I know it sounds obvious, but agree on a date with governors and your external advisor as soon as possible before everyone’s diary is too full. I have worked with newly appointed headteachers who governors have left to arrange this, and as a result, it has been left to the last minute.
- Consider the timing of the appraisal meeting. A number of the schools I work with organise the headteacher’s appraisal as early as possible in the autumn term. This enables the headteacher to take into account any relevant objectives when considering objectives for teachers and other leaders’ performance management so these can be ‘passed down’ if appropriate. Indeed, a couple of schools I work with have the appraisal meeting last thing in July, so the Headteacher’s objectives are set well in advance of the new school year. Other schools prefer to wait until IDSR is available mid-way through the autumn term, so this can be part of the discussion. Whatever the rationale for timing, it is important to consider what would be best for the school rather than just booking a date based on historical precedent.
- And most importantly, ensure there are nice biscuits on the day. It's a bit like when a school gets inspected, and the headteacher dashes to an M&S or Waitrose for decent cookies for the team room. No budget supermarket ‘on-the-cusp-of-best-before-date’ custard creams for headteacher appraisal panels…
At least if the appraisal meeting is organised well before breaking up in July, it’s one less thing to think about on a beach in August. Enjoy the Summer.
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