In response to the evolving landscape of education, many schools are shifting towards personalised, ‘low stakes’ approaches, using an online appraisal solution to manage the appraisal process and link this to targeted professional development. This shift is crucial to address specific challenges and goals more effectively. Considering this, we delve into three ways that an online platform can strengthen your school’s appraisal process and professional development strategies.
Workload reduction
Traditional, paper-based appraisal and professional development processes are often cumbersome and time-consuming. In a recent survey, 90% of our users said that they felt the main purpose of professional learning in their organisations was to improve the quality of teaching. When this is implemented via a paper-based system it can be a difficult and time-consuming exercise. However, by using an online platform, your school’s appraisal and professional development processes can be simplified.
Don’t just take our word for it; the latest teacher appraisal guidance for schools from the UK’s Department for Education (DfE) recommends looking at ways to reduce workload throughout the appraisal process:
“Schools should consider the benefits of using online or electronic performance management solutions to help provide a streamlined approach which can not only reduce workload and save time for leaders and teachers, but can also assist with identifying and targeting CPD needs, empowering staff to take control of their professional growth and allowing leaders to track impact on school priorities.”
At Saracens High School, a fast-growing school in northwest London, switching to an online platform for their appraisal process and professional development has saved the school’s senior leadership team hours of work in developing their people through personalised CPD.
“It’s so much easier to do,” says Dr Matt Stevens, the school’s principal. “Previously, staff filled in a form, which was emailed to me. I would then check the calendar, check the budget with the Finance Team, and then email the staff member back… It was probably taking three or four minutes for each application.”
A similar effect has been seen at Sancton Wood School, Cambridgeshire around simplifying the school’s 3-month induction process. Before Sancton Wood started using an online platform, Julia Cottam, Academic Vice Principal at the school, reports that new staff were finding it hard to understand the appraisal process.
Julia explains: “We understood that new staff were struggling sometimes and found they were digging around in the dark a little bit for who they needed to see for certain tasks and where they could find X, Y, and Z when it came to appraisal and professional development.”
Using an online platform means she can “see which of these new members of staff are engaging with the induction professional development and appraisal process. I can see when they have been ticking off activities as they go, which is really helpful.”
Demonstrating investment in your staff
Teacher retention is a growing concern in the sector. A report from The Guardian revealed that 40,000 teachers left the profession between 2021-2022. As noted by the DfE, one of the key ways to improve teacher retention in school is by “offering high- quality continuing professional development.”
An online people development platform offers a convenient, central location for all parties to access essential information relating to personal and professional targets. School or trust leaders can share the school development plan through the platform so teachers and staff can align their professional objectives with school improvement priorities. Personalised goals encourage staff engagement while strengthening their understanding of how their work contributes to the wider organisation.
At Step by Step, a SEND school in East Sussex, using our appraisal platform has allowed the school to implement a bespoke approach that supports staff to develop the specialist skills needed in the job.
As Headteacher Gayle Adam explains, the ability to run reports quickly and easily has meant that this investment in staff professional development can be effectively tracked and evaluated, bringing all their “quality assurance and CPD activities together in one platform. This makes the process much easier to manage and ensures staff continue to keep their focus on their professional development.”
This increased investment in staff development has meant that in October 2022, Step by Step School achieved an improved Ofsted rating, moving from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’. Ofsted noted the school’s particular emphasis on the individual support of both its staff and pupils, and praised how staff at the school had built a strong understanding of the importance of their work.
Ownership of professional development
An open dialogue between individuals and their manager is an important element of the ‘developmental’ appraisal process outlined by the DfE. Regular conversations around professional objectives and development ensure clarity of purpose as well as a sense of fairness, while also giving individuals agency to manage their own career and learning pathways. This contributes to staff wellbeing and retention, as highlighted in the 2020 NFER report, Teacher autonomy: how does it relate to job satisfaction and retention?: “Teachers’ perceived influence over their professional development goal setting is the area most associated with higher job satisfaction and a greater intention to stay in teaching”.
An online appraisal system encourages staff to actively engage in self-reflective practice, while working towards appraisal objectives methodically and consistently at Welshpool High School, Powys.
Assistant Headteacher Natalie Forsyth explains: “It allows them to identify their own areas for improvement and feeds into our plan to encourage everyone to become more self-reflective, rather than having a top-down approach.”
Using the platform, staff have greater ownership of their development: they are able to log their professional learning activities and document any developmental conversations they have with colleagues or managers.
“Previously, if we were setting performance management targets, they’d be written on a bit of paper and then filed away! Now that staff can access their records through the platform, they can revisit their objectives and easily log how they are progressing,” says Natalie.
By recording appraisal objectives within the system, teachers can document their reflections and track their progress towards both individual and school-wide goals. This information is shared with managers and school improvement stakeholders, providing leaders at the school with an evidence-based analysis of performance and a deep understanding of the impact of CPD, while creating a more transparent feedback environment for everybody that strengthens the appraisal process.
Come and see us on stand C50, to find out how The National College can support your school.
