Performance Development for School Support Staff

A group of local authorities across the West Midlands is currently researching best practice in performance development for support staff with the aim of providing information to schools based on case study materials relating to all aspects of the process.

With a consultation process on the new qualifications strategy for support staff running between 31 March and 30 June 2008, and an increasing range of local training opportunities available to Shropshire school support staff through the now well-established partnership between the local authority and Edge Hill University, performance development has an invaluable part to play in helping to identify training and development needs, to share expertise and to set meaningful targets linked to whole school improvement activity.

Support staff fulfil many important and often multiple roles in schools. It is important that school managers recognise the significant contributions all support staff are making towards raising standards and pupil achievement. Effective performance development should help support staff to develop in their current roles, to make the move to new roles, to take advantage of new career opportunities and to contribute to learning outcomes of pupils.

It is anticipated that information from the West Midlands will be available and distributed to schools by the Summer half-term. In the meantime you can find out more about what’s happening locally by contacting either Phil Wilson (email phil.wilson@shropshire.gov.uk) or Maggie Langdale (email maggie.langdale@shropshire-cc.gov.uk).

Additionally the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has a wealth of information relating to the roles, responsibilities and training and development opportunities available for support staff. These include a useful career development framework. Follow the link in the useful websites section of the page to access this information.