Thisquestionnairewillprovidevaluableinformationforyourclerk’sannual appraisal.
This template toolkit will enable you, as chair, to robustly appraise your clerk (as their line manager) in recognising their role as the governance professional to your governing board.
You will need to undertake the following actions prior to a performance management meeting:
● Read the clerk’s job description. If your clerk also works for the school (not recommended by the DfE and NGA) they need a separate job description for their role as clerk.
● Pay due regard to the role of the clerk/governance professional within the Governance Guides.
● Know the clerks’ current salary and range.
● If your clerk is self-employed and has a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the governing board, read and compare to the expected standards to ensure all aspects of the clerk’s role is being provided.
● If you are new to the role of chair you may wish input from your vice chair.
● Read the toolkit questionnaire.
● Provide a copy of the questionnaire to the clerk for their preparation prior to the meeting.
You will need to undertake the following actions after a performance management meeting:
● Provide the clerk with up to three areas for development objectives.
● Discuss as an item on the board agenda (clerks performance management) any uplift to the clerk’s salary presenting your recommendations. You will not go into details of the meeting or areas for development. This item will have to be clerked (as a confidential item) by a member of the Governing Board with the clerk leaving the meeting/room. Following any board decision, the clerk will be informed in writing by the chair. The business manager will also need to be informed in writing of any change to pay.
● Enable the clerk to access and undertake training including via any training service level agreements in place. Accredited clerks’ training can be found from The Education People website or contact governorservices@theeducationpeople.org.
● Store the performance management record securely in the clerk’s personnel file.
● Hold a mid-year review meeting to ensure objectives are on track.
You may undertake the following actions after a performance management meeting:
● Review the Clerks job description to ensure it is up to date with the expected standards.
● Review and negotiate any changes needed to a self-employed SLA.
● Signpost your clerk to the clerks specific training, conference, and briefings. You may access training by contacting governorservices@theeducationpeople.org. You may need to consider how your clerk is paid for their attendance at training.
● Signpost to The Education People accredited training or NGA Clerk’s Career pathway, Level 3 Certificate in the Clerking of School and Academy Governing Boards.
● Enable your clerk to have access to the NGA membership/learning link/GovernorHub Knowledge.
If performance issues arise during the year, they must be tackled at the time they occur and not left to be picked up as part of the appraisal process. It is the role of the chair to have conversations with the clerk when there are concerns and enable appropriate support and training for them to develop to fulfil their role.
Name of Clerk
Current pay grade
Name of school
Name of appraiser(s) (Chair)
Date of review
DD/MM/YYYY
Expected standards
Evidence of performance
Please answer each question below with honesty and objectivity
Skills, knowledge and performance