The requirement for schools to operate PRP was removed from the STPCD in September 2024. Although we saw many employers take that opportunity to move away from PRP, the late announcement meant that some employers did not. We urge all those schools, local authorities and trusts to make this change to their pay and appraisal policies whilst they are reviewing them to incorporate the above changes to the STPCD.
ASCL’s
position statement on PRP states: “
ASCL believes that all employers should move away from performance-related pay, and develop an alternative approach to appraisal which is supportive and developmental, is not linked to pay, and applies to both teachers and leaders.”
There is currently no evidence that performance-related pay impacts positively on student outcomes. Research shows it does not work in schools and that it can be counterproductive and ineffective. We are concerned that PRP can also have a negative impact on retention.
Our updated guidance paper,
Changing the approach to appraisal, produced in conjunction with our
Premier Partner BlueSky Education, aims to support schools and trusts in moving away from PRP.
We have also produced two documents,
ASCL Appraisal Policy Principles and
ASCL Pay Policy Principles, which set out our expectations from employers in relation to these two policies.
We are aware that there is some fantastic and innovative practice taking place in relation to developmental appraisal and professional growth, and we are building a suite of case studies to support our work in this area. If your school or trust wishes to be involved in this, please contact us via our
tellus@ascl.org.uk email with ‘appraisal’ in the subject line, and we will be in touch.