PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Between 1998 and 2005, the number of teaching assistants has tripled in secondary schools, doubled in primary schools and increased by 40% in special schools. In the same period, the average pupil adult ratio has decreased from 17.8 to 13.4 in primary schools, and from 14.6 to 12.2 in secondary schools. With something approaching 50% of the current teaching workforce due to retire in the next decade, the trend seems set to accelerate.

Although schools appreciate the importance of professional development and performance management for the growing army of support staff - the most skilled of whom are increasingly dealing with whole classes as a result of PPA underfunding - most are not yet happy with the arrangements they have been able to put in place. Doing the job properly is a massive task…..and the big question is "Who's got the time to do it?" Showing you how you can share the work in a way that best utilises the skills of qualified teachers and senior support staff is key element of the performance management/pay briefings described below

Leaving these important practicalities aside for a moment, the characteristics of a good professional development system for teaching assistants are basically the same as for teachers. If you want to check whether you have already got one, ask yourself whether you go through the following stages

1. evaluation of existing classroom practice against best practice criteria identifies strengths and professional development needs
   
   
2. the professional development need most likely to impact on a key School Improvement Plan attainment priority translates into a Professional Development Objective
   
   
3. a performance coach with the necessary skills is appointed to help draw up an agreed action plan, to provide the necessary support, to monitor progress, to evaluate impact in the classroom and to produce a summary review statement
   
   
4. the review statement is set alongside the other performance evidence detailed in the school pay policy to inform grading decisions

In short, you need to Audit to Establish Skills-Based Objectives for Performance Progression. Our AESOPP™ performance objective setting system is already in use in over 2500 schools. It enables teachers and teaching assistants to

• identify their professional development needs using a range of audit sheets setting out relevant national criteria
  
  
• select the need most likely to impact on key School Improvement Plan targets
  
  
• produce an electronic timelined Action Plan based on the wide range of examples provided
  
  
• record evidence of progress and impact for the review statement which will inform pay decisions

The AESOPP™ pack and software costs £175 plus VAT per school. This provides you with a lifetime site licence - there are no annual subscription fees. You can personalise the materials for use in your school. They're easy to update yourself as new national criteria emerge - or we'll be happy to provide you with a free update CD on request. We'll also gladly put you in touch with headteachers already using the system before you buy.

In order to make sure that the system is properly used - and to protect the good reputation it has developed with teachers and teaching assistants - AESOPP™ can only be bought at the end of one of our training sessions, which we will be happy to bring to your LA or headteachers' group. These sessions will provide you with

• an overview of the government's planned 2006 changes to performance management and performance pay - centred on Ofsted, Annual Teaching & Learning Reviews, new threshold and UPS criteria, and external validation of performance pay procedures
  
  
• an explanation of how AESOPP™ will enable you to respond simply and powerfully to this emerging agenda - addressing the needs of both teachers and teaching assistants
  
  
• an opportunity to buy the materials for use in your school

Key Quote

It is recommended that support staff should be integrated into the school's appraisal arrangements. Line managers who coordinate the work of support staff and provide support should undertake appraisal. Qualified teachers who direct and supervise support staff should provide feedback to the line manager on progress, to inform the appraisal process.

Section 133 Guidance 2003 Para 45