Performance management

All teachers will have annual appraisals

There are two aspects to the changes the government is introducing this autumn for teachers in England. There are very similar proposals for Wales.

Those who volunteer, and meet the criteria, can move onto a new, higher pay scale.

It is this aspect of the changes that people normally mean when they talk about performance-related pay.

But all teachers will be subject to a new system of performance management and a new salary structure which includes annual performance targets and assessments.

Targets

From the academic year starting in autumn 2000, teachers in England and Wales have to agree performance targets with their line managers.

In smaller schools, the manager or "team leader" for all staff will probably be the head teacher.

In larger schools it could be another member of the management team.

The idea was originally intended to start in 1999 but pressure from unions resulted in the government postponing the process by a year.

There are expected to be between three and seven targets which are supposed to be "challenging" - "neither too comfortable nor dauntingly unrealistic" is how the official guidance puts it.

Progress test

Most controversially they must include at least one about pupil progress - either of individuals, groups or the whole class.

But teachers are being told they will normally be expected to get an annual pay increment - over and above any across-the-board pay rise - unless their performance is assessed as being unsatisfactory.

Schools will be able to reward "exceptionally good performance" by giving a teacher a double salary step.

There are nine basic salary steps, ranging from £15,141 (most honours graduates start on the second rung, at £16,050) to £23,958.

At this point classroom teachers normally hit a ceiling beyond which they cannot earn more without taking on administrative or managerial responsibilities.

Ministers have said repeatedly they think this is wrong and want to reward the best teachers who choose to stay in front of the class - hence the biggest change they are introducing, which lets teachers volunteer to "cross the threshold".