Effective teacher performance review and appraisal practices

The Professional Development Review cycle rolls on. Teachers returning to schools this September move into a new series of review meetings with line managers. Whatever the format and whatever the accountability regime they serve, these meetings are above all else about teachers working together to review their impact on learners and how they can best be supported to add further impact in the classroom.

There are many titles for this process, including “appraisal” and “performance management”. I prefer to call them “Professional Development Reviews” (PDRs) – with an emphasis on all three words.

They are discussions between two professionals – reviewer and reviewee. They are centred around the performance of the teacher in question and they are focused on the professional development of the teacher resulting in further improvements in the classroom/school. This should be a win-win situation for all concerned. PDR applies to all staff except those on contracts of less than one term, those undergoing induction (i.e. NQTs) and those who are subject to formal capability proceedings.