School Improvement Partners (Secondary) and Headteacher Performance Review

Earlier this year schools received details of the revised arrangements for Performance Management Review for Secondary Headteachers, using the designated School Improvement Partner (SIP). This is the practice agreed by the Department for Education and Skills, commencing 1st September 2006 in all Norfolk secondary schools, and replaces the use of an external adviser booked through Cambridge Education.

A few secondary school governing bodies who previously carried out the Headteacher's performance review very early in the autumn term have bought in the services of an external adviser. It should be noted that, because of the introduction of the SIP system, funding for external advisers has not been allocated by the DfES to Norfolk secondary schools this year, unlike primary schools where the governing bodies will continue to use external advisers until 2008.

Where governing bodies have not yet carried out the review of the Headteacher's performance, the SIP will be visiting the school during this half term to offer advice to the 2 or 3 appointed governors. S/he will provide almost the same role as the former external adviser, providing guidance about the process, offering advice about the level of performance achieved and making suggestions for future performance objectives and how these might be monitored. So that s/he can carry out the role effectively the appointed governors should, as previously, provide any relevant information that will help the SIP in the assessment of the head's performance over the last year. Please note that the SIP will not offer to draft the Headteacher's Review Statement; this is now to be completed by the appointed governors, in agreement with the Headteacher.

If you have not already made arrangements for the review meeting, we suggest that either one of the appointed governors, or the Headteacher, should contact the school's assigned SIP as soon as possible, to agree a mutually convenient date.

New, revised, arrangements for Performance Review in Schools, which will cover Headteachers and teaching staff will be implemented from 1st September 2007. Reviews for teachers will have to be completed, and new objectives agreed, by 31st October 2007. Governing bodies will have until 31st December 2007 to carry out the review and agree future objectives for the Headteacher. From autumn 2008, the process for everyone must be complete by 31st October.

Final documentation about the changes will shortly be available. Appropriate Local Authority officers will receive training on the new procedures, after which we shall be offering training to governors, hopefully in the spring and summer next year. Dates will be sent to schools, and widely advertised elsewhere, but will not appear in the Spring Term Governor Training booklet, as we do not yet have the information.

For further advice please contact the Governor Services Team on 01603 433276.