Performance Management supports professional learning

Performance management should relate closely to the professional learning that staff are engaged in.
Performance management should follow the principals of effective professional learning; it should be pupil focussed, challenging, evidence-informed and evaluated.
Performance management should be completed within a supportive culture, where colleagues feel that it supports their learning, rather than threatens or limits them.
Performance management should ensure that colleagues engage fully in effective professional learning.

Risks to watch out for

Performance management targets are not referred to throughout the year and become a last minute ‘tick box’ exercise that don’t really reflect progress made throughout the year.
Performance management focuses solely on career development rather than improving practice, or vice-versa.
Pupil achievement targets in performance management are too broad and don’t relate closely to actual development, e.g. “80% of pupils to achieve A* to C” doesn’t specify which pupils to particularly focus on, what specific need to address, nor what possible approaches to try.
Staff need to feel free to innovate and take risks in their practice, as well as to evaluate effectively, even if the evaluation shows that an approach was not successful. Performance management should promote effective development, rather than rapid success with every approach tried.