While it is no longer a requirement of the EYFS to carry out appraisals on staff (assistants or volunteers who work with you), it is very good practice to organise meetings every 6 months or annually to talk through how things are going and to look to the future. An appraisal allows you to motivate as well as assess your assistant and provides an opportunity for your assistant to discuss their future professional development within your business.
The EYFS states, ‘Providers must support staff to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure they offer quality learning and development experiences for children that continually improves.’
Staff appraisal (providing support and professional development opportunities for your staff) is part of the leadership and management judgement that will be made by Ofsted during inspection. An appraisal provides an opportunity for you to ask your staff member –
· How do you think you are getting on?
· Are things going well / badly?
· What are your personal strengths / weaknesses?
· How have you improved since your last appraisal?
· What do you think are the main challenges in your work?
· What parts of your job do you enjoy most / least?
· Is anything stopping you from performing to the best of your ability?
The EYFS states that, ‘The daily experience of children in early years settings and the overall quality of provision depends on all practitioners having appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge and a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.’
Ask your member of staff – what training do you want to do next? Put some dates in the diary so your assistant has a clear development plan for next year. You can then plan a discussion and in-house training session on an area of provision you have noted your staff needs to improve.
The EYFS states, ‘Providers must support staff to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure they offer quality learning and development experiences for children that continually improves.’
Staff appraisal (providing support and professional development opportunities for your staff) is part of the leadership and management judgement that will be made by Ofsted during inspection. An appraisal provides an opportunity for you to ask your staff member –
· How do you think you are getting on?
· Are things going well / badly?
· What are your personal strengths / weaknesses?
· How have you improved since your last appraisal?
· What do you think are the main challenges in your work?
· What parts of your job do you enjoy most / least?
· Is anything stopping you from performing to the best of your ability?
The EYFS states that, ‘The daily experience of children in early years settings and the overall quality of provision depends on all practitioners having appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge and a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.’
Ask your member of staff – what training do you want to do next? Put some dates in the diary so your assistant has a clear development plan for next year. You can then plan a discussion and in-house training session on an area of provision you have noted your staff needs to improve.