UK: Revised regulations on performance management for teachers

The Department For Education and Skills has published revised regulations on performance management for teachers and headteachers. The revised regulations build on existing requirements to provide clearer, fairer and more consistent arrangements more closely integrated into other schools' and local authorities' processes.

The regulations mean that for the first time continuous professional development, pay and performance are brought together in a coherent way. This will benefit both teachers and their pupils, helping to secure better outcomes for pupils, which is the overarching goal. A12 week consultation on the revised arrangements concluded at the end of August.

The consultation demonstrated that there was a great deal of support for the proposed regulations and views of resopndents and social partners have been reflected in the development of the new arrangements.

The revised regulations:

• Establish a clear and consistent process of planning and assessment so that teachers and headteachers understand what is expected of them;
• Will support teachers and head teachers in addressing their training needs;
• Create clearer links between performance management and school improvement allowing schools to streamline procedures and cut bureaucracy and helping to ensure invididual development plans underpin the school's strategic plans for improving performance and provision;
• Create clearer links between performance management and pay; and
• Provide local authorities, governors and headteachers with flexibility to delegate to line manageers the responsibility for completing the performance review and pay recommendation; The first performance management plans under the revised arrangements will need to be completed by the 31 October 2007 for teachers and 31 December 2007 for headteachers.