CONTRIBUTORS
A season of change for performance appraisal
In her regular column for Education Today this month, it’s a time of big change and new beginnings for the performance appraisal process, says BlueSky Education’s DENISE INWOOD.
As well as being a time of lighter, warmer days and new life, Spring has also traditionally marked an important time in the performance appraisal calendar – the mid-year review.
It has long been a familiar milestone in the academic year. Traditionally the meeting would have been in the diary for many months and for
the appraisee working traditionally on paper there’s often a furious rush to gather all the information needed to support their evidence that they are meeting those performance objectives.
That was the old way of doing things. The case is now building for a new way of doing things which will, I believe, see the mid-year review gradually fade into history and be replaced with an altogether more manageable – and relevant – approach: ongoing dialogue. It’s a shift that at first was barely noticeable but it is now becoming more prominent around the country. It could be said to be a bit of a trend. It’s certainly something that we noted in the guidance paper we produced last year in association with ASCL.
We noted then that many schools were beginning to move their practice away from a seasonal appraisal cycle focused around two or three formal annual meetings. This process hinged around the previous academic year’s review meeting and the new year’s planning meeting, both of which usually took place in the autumn term, and the mid-year review meeting, usually held before the Easter break. These meetings were, we noted in the report, being replaced with a much more agile conversational process that encourages ongoing dialogue.
The benefits of this process mean there can be short meetings that enable the reviewee and reviewer to catch up on progress and, if necessary, make amendments and adaptations and then step forward again.
The process ensures any issues are discussed in the moment and ensures that by the end of the year, there are no surprises, and in fact, the main event can be to focus forward on the year ahead. This is a big improvement on the old method which often acted as a review of actions and issues that were already in the past.But how do you make that shift from the old-fashioned three meeting a year model to this new dynamic ‘little and often’ approach?If the shift is to be truly worthwhile, both sides of the appraisal process – appraiser and appraisee – need to take a series of careful steps: • When agreeing professional learning objectives set small, concrete milestones that can form the basis of objective conversation around progress.
• Put time aside in the diary for these short ‘catch-ups’ or ‘drop-ins’ so that they are built into the calendar and record the outcomes.
• These meetings are an ideal opportunity to review progress towards each ‘milestone’ and determine whether there have been or are any blockers and whether there need to be any changes as a consequence of the first period.
• Make it appraisee rather than appraiser led. Many schools are moving towards a more dialogistic and coaching centred approach to professional development which expects the teacher to be part of a dialogue, rather than subject to a process largely out of their control. The decoupling of pay and performance, announced in January but already a reality in many schools, I think encourages this process. An appraisee-led performance appraisal system enables the teacher to lead the dialogue about their achievements and possible next steps. It also makes it easier for an individual to reflect and articulate their own view of their performance when the objectives they are reviewing have been mutually discussed and agreed and are linked directly to their own behaviours and competencies. This also encourages professional engagement and self-reflection and drives professional accountability. Spring has sprung and there’s change in the air when it comes to performance appraisals. Here’s to a time of new beginnings.
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www.education-today.co.uk
It’s time to start teaching finance
This month NAOMI HOWELLS, Managing Director at recruitment specialists Class People and regular Education Today columnist, adds her voice to the rising tide of opinion urging the government to introduce financial education in our schools.
Recent publication of survey results from YouGov on behalf of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has revealed that overwhelmingly, teachers believe that pupils should receive financial education as part of their schooling. The insight, which gathered the thoughts of 1,012 teachers, found that 76% believe young people graduate from school or college lacking essential financial skills for life. 26% believe these skills should be introduced gradually from nursery level; 44% believe it is suitable from the age of five; and 19% favour from the age of eight. The survey has led to MaPS – an arms-length body, sponsored by the Government – advising that financial education should be more fully incorporated into schooling, extending the existing curriculum.
This makes sense, given that: • a study by Aviva highlighted that just 44% of Brits understand the impact of inflation on their savings;
• 93% of consumers believe that their education failed to adequately prepare them to manage their finances, according to the Banking and Finance Review; and
• research by Eligible found that 11% of Brits have encountered long-term implications to their borrowing or spending, due to not understanding their own financial situation.
So, it seems appropriate to advocate for the expansion of financial education throughout the schooling system, but it’s never that simple. In a system that is already stretched to capacity and is heavily under resourced, how can schools begin to consider the introduction of a new teaching stream, and particularly one that has complex and tightly governed considerations too? How can they manage the introduction of more, without exacerbating the existing challenges of poor staff retention, overwork, and mental health concerns, at the same time assuring quality of delivery?
Further survey insights highlight that despite the importance of financial education, 79% of teachers believe other subject take precedence; 25% cite a lack of confidence to teach this information; 26% are unsure where to access support of resources; while other concerns include the complexity of the subject, the sensitive nature of money, and a lack of interest from young people.
For schools, it seems inevitable that financial education is looming in the coming academic years, and that it will be essential to overcome the challenges cited by teachers, in order to make this learning possible. Practically, for schools this will likely mean the sourcing of appropriate third-party resources, but it could present opportunity for innovation, not just in the curriculum, but also with staffing and fundraising. Unlike many topics which can feasibly be taught by existing teachers, financial information can be sensitive, complex, and is tightly governed. The use of floating teachers to deliver the curriculum at age-appropriate levels throughout the school; third-party educators; or even working with experts in the local business community, could be pivotal in delivering suitable education pathways. It might also present opportunity for optimising fundraising through PTAs or grant applications, seeking additional income streams with the specific directive of improving all round education.
Our Class People Foundation makes grants of up to £1,500 available to schools across the Midlands and South West to enhance extra- curricular education in schools.
April 2024
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