Maintained schools have a duty to appraise the performance of their headteacher on an annual basis. These reviews are delegated to a sub-committee of governors consisting of two/three members of the governing body and form a crucial part of the school accountability process.
In maintained schools the governing board must appoint an external advisor to support the performance management process.
It is the governors role to appoint an adviser, governors should take care that they appoint a suitably qualified advisor with a secure understanding of school improvement. Their role is to support governors in the evaluation process and to support governors in answering these key questions:
- has the headteacher met their current performance objectives ?
- how well has the headteacher performed overall? Are there concerns around performance?
- what should form the focus for the headteacher’s future objectives and how does this link to the overarching school priorities?
- what personal and professional development opportunities might benefit the headteacher?
Whilst the performance review should take place on or before 31 December each year, best practice is to complete reviews in September so that targets can be cascaded down through the leadership and have the greatest impact on your school plan priorities.
Many Trusts often appoint an external advisor and follow the same procedures as maintained schools.