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Preparing for your headteacher appraisal

Feel confident and ready for your headteacher appraisal by familiarising yourself with the process. Use our templates to review your objectives, track your progress and get prepared for your review and planning meeting.

Last reviewed on 5 March 2026
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 1063
Contents
  1. Stage 1: review your own performance 
  2. Stage 2: meet the external adviser before the review meeting
  3. Stage 3: the governors and the external adviser will hold a pre-meeting
  4. Stage 4: use the review and planning meeting to go over your performance and set goals
  5. Stage 5: the appraisal report should only be shared with those who need to see it
  6. Different types of headship use different appraisal methods

This article is based on The Education (School Teachers’ Appraisal) (England) Regulations 2012, the DfE's teacher appraisal model policy and guidance, and advice from HR expert Ruth Alinek.

The regulations and guidance apply to maintained schools only.

Academy trusts are free to decide their own appraisal arrangements – check your appraisal policy. 

Stage 1: review your own performance 

Give yourself enough time to review your performance against your objectives and any standards that have been agreed, before the review and planning meeting. In maintained schools, this should include the Teachers' Standards and the Headteachers' Standards 2020.

Your objectives and the Teachers’ Standards: use our template below to track your objectives and collect evidence of your progress against them, and how you've met the Teachers’ Standards.

KeyDoc: Headteacher appraisal self-evaluation document DOCX, 144.5 KB /article/131/documents/3779/KeyDoc_headteacher_appraisal_self-evaluation_2024.docx

Your objectives and the Headteachers’ Standards: use our self-assessment tool to track your progress against the Headteachers' Standards (these are the current standards).