The DfE has said "maintained schools must continue to adhere to the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), which includes the requirement to ensure that all pay progression for teachers is linked to performance management. However, we would expect schools to use their discretion and take pragmatic steps, to adapt performance management and appraisal arrangements to take account of the current circumstances."
Where employers go ahead with performance related pay progression for the academic years impacted by the pandemic, they should follow the DfE guidance which also states "Schools must ensure that teachers are not penalised during the appraisal process or in respect of any subsequent pay progression decisions as a result of partial school closures, where this has impacted on the ability of the teacher to meet fully their objectives."
ASCL believes that schools should consider favourably those teachers and leaders eligible for pay progression for the academic years affected by the pandemic so that those who have been unable to successfully complete their performance management/appraisal objectives do not suffer a detriment.
Any employers who are considering not awarding pay progression due to concerns over performance would need to demonstrate that BEFORE or AFTER the partial closures:
- they had raised these concerns with the member of staff
- what opportunity the employee had been given to improve
- what support the employer had put in place to assist this
Also, due to the 2020 and 2021 exam situations, any objectives related to student outcomes should be disregarded.
We would expect employers to be consistent in their approach to performance management and pay progression and where they choose to award automatic pay progression, this should not just be for one group of staff ie, if they were awarding this to MPS and UPS teachers, we would expect the same for those on the leadership spine.
Headteachers will need to discuss how their own performance management arrangements will need to be adapted with their Governing/Trust Board, as this will be carried out by a Governor/Trustee Committee.