When Sue Riddle-Harte took over as headteacher at John Stainer Community Primary School in 2001, the school had been in special measures for over four years. By 2006, it was the third most improved primary school in the country.
Performance management can be a critical part of school improvement, and as Riddle-Harte confirms, working with teachers to develop a clear picture of their skills and capabilities was key to her school's progress.
John Stainer now has performance management at its heart. When the academic year begins, teachers sit down with the head to decide upon targets for improving both pupil performance and their own professional development.
We follow Year 4 teacher Shermane Okorodudu during a mid-term review, as Riddle-Harte observes a lesson, provides feedback, and, on the basis of the school's pupil tracker data, discusses whether she is on course to achieve her targets.
