Appraisal: monitoring and evaluating its progress

Summary It is now nearly five years since the DFE issued the School Teacher Appraisal Regulations, making appraisal a requirement for all teachers. As with many innovations, it was regarded by some colleagues in schools as an opportunity to be seized and by others as an imposition to be tolerated. The DFE also made clear the requirement upon LEAs and governing bodies to provide information on the progress being made in meeting the targets for the introduction of appraisal as stipulated in the Orders. For many schools the first cycle is now over and, as they embark upon the next, the timing is right for the monitoring and evaluation of the progress being made to date. This article rehearses the rationale behind systematic monitoring and evaluation and reports on the way in which one LEA high school approached the task.