How to review your teacher appraisal policy

Last reviewed on 19 October 2022
Statutory/mandatory for: Maintained schools Pupil referral units

Be confident when approving your teacher appraisal policy. Know what it should include and what questions to ask to make sure it's compliant and robust.

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Contents

  1. Key facts
  2. What this policy needs to do
  3. 3 key questions to challenge the policy
  4. Model policy  
  5. See examples from schools
  6. Sources

What this policy needs to do

Your school’s teacher appraisal policy must cover:

The appraisal period

The policy should set out an appraisal period of 12 months. 

Teachers on fixed-term contracts of less than 12 months or those starting at the school during the appraisal period can have a shorter or longer initial appraisal period.

The appointment of external advisers and appraisers

The policy should explain:

  • How the governing board will select/appoint an external adviser to provide advice and support for headteacher appraisal
  • That the governing board may also choose to delegate headteacher appraisal to a smaller group of governors (a committee)
  • Who will appraise other teachers (if not the headteacher)

Objective setting

It should also explain that objectives will contribute to improving the education of pupils at the

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