As more schools abandon performance-related pay, Chris Ingate discovers one Cornwall trust showing how appraisal built on trust, wellbeing and professional growth can strengthen recruitment, retention and school improvement.

People before targets

Changing the conversation 

Across England, schools and academy trusts are increasingly moving away from performancerelated pay following the additional flexibility provided by the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) 2024 (tinyurl.com/4akm3z5d). 

Supporters of the change argue that rigid targets and numerical objectives have too often reduced appraisal to a compliance exercise, creating unnecessary pressure while doing little to improve classroom practice. 

Critics continue to suggest that removing measurable objectives risks weakening accountability and lowering standards. Yet a growing body of educational research challenges that assumption. 

Leading academics, including John Hattie, Michael Fullan and Alma Harris, have all emphasised the importance of culture, relationships and professional trust in driving sustainable school improvement. 

Meanwhile, the evidence supporting arbitrary ‘make-or-break’ targets remains limited, and many school leaders report that developmental approaches are having a far more positive impact on staff wellbeing, retention and morale. 

One trust embracing this shift is Cornwall Education Learning Trust (CELT). Serving mid-Cornwall, the trust’s 16 schools support the education of 9,000 children and young people and employs approximately 1,200 staff. 

Since his appointment as CEO in January 2025, Dan Morrow has publicly committed the organisation to prioritising staff wellbeing and professional support. On the trust website, he states: “To our staff: Your wellbeing is non-negotiable. You are not ‘resources’ to be managed but professionals to be supported.” 

That philosophy now sits at the centre of CELT’s approach to appraisal and professional development. The trust’s commitment to people is reflected in five key priorities (see below) centred upon empowering staff to support, teach and lead effectively. 

Leaders at CELT believe that creating a positive professional culture is essential if schools are to recruit and retain talented employees during a period of continuing pressure across the education sector. 

Rather than viewing staff simply through the lens of outcomes and accountability measures, the trust is creating an environment where professional growth, wellbeing and collaboration are not just genuinely valued but actively enacted. 

Building professional trust 

Richard Baker, CELT’s Deputy CEO for School Improvement, has been instrumental in reshaping the trust’s appraisal culture. 

Current headteacher and a school improvement leader within CELT, Richard believes traditional performance management has become overly bureaucratic and disconnected from meaningful professional growth. Instead, he wants a simpler and more humane system rooted in honest dialogue, continuous reflection and professional trust. 

Alongside him, Hayley Bissenden, Director of CELT’s Centre of Excellence, has developed the structures and training required to implement the trust’s new Learning and Development Check-ins (LDCs). 

Hayley explains: “Our appraisal cycle was not necessarily revolutionary, as the culture of the trust has always been about growing our staff – all our staff – in a non-hierarchical way so everyone feels supported and listened to. The first thing we ask is: ‘Where do you want to go as a person working for CELT?’” 

The emphasis is now firmly on personalisation. Staff discuss their own aspirations alongside wider team and trust priorities, while leaders attempt to provide opportunities tailored to individual development goals.

Hayley acknowledges that this approach demands greater investment and flexibility than delivering standardised training to entire staff groups. However, she believes the benefits are substantial. Leaders report that staff increasingly feel listened to, supported and professionally valued. 

The trust’s wider employment offer also reflects that commitment. Like many schools nationally, CELT has faced recruitment challenges, particularly in hard-to-fill roles. 

In response, the trust has introduced additional benefits including an Employee Assistance Programme and discounted gym membership for teaching and support staff. Richard says: “It’s not always easy to afford these extras, particularly in the current financial climate, but it has meant that when we advertise, we do get good levels of response. These measures also help retain good staff too, which all helps.” 

The trust has also established a physical Centre of Excellence that provides a collaborative space for conferences, school visits, professional learning and research. Leaders hope the centre will continue to grow and soon become a hub where staff can access guidance, share expertise and develop professionally across all phases and roles. 

Learning through dialogue 

CELT’s appraisal model operates through a bespoke paperless software package and includes six 30-minute review meetings each year. Leaders say these shorter and more frequent conversations have proved significantly more effective than traditional annual reviews because concerns, ambitions and support needs can be discussed immediately rather than months later. The approach also allows regular line management meetings to focus more clearly upon operational matters. 

Implementing the new system has not been entirely straightforward. Timetabling six meetings annually for large numbers of staff has created logistical pressures, and leaders are considering whether four meetings each year may eventually prove more manageable. 

There were also difficult conversations. Trustees were initially concerned about removing formal targets for headteachers and senior leaders. Others raised questions about automatic pay progression, though Richard is categorical that progression is only ever withheld where staff are subject to formal capability procedures. 

Evaluation has become another important feature of the process. CELT has established a 50-strong strategy group with representatives from different phases and roles across the workforce. Members regularly discuss strengths, weaknesses and future priorities, helping to shape strategic planning across the trust. 

Feedback from participants has been consistently positive. Primary Assistant Headteacher Meg Butler says she values seeing “change happening as a result of the group”, while Rebecca Sobye, working in safeguarding and special educational needs, says she appreciates “having my voice heard”. Science early career teacher Huw Fawcett values the opportunity to “hear and share the opinions of my colleagues”, and administrator Jo Old describes the meetings as “a friendly and open forum”. 

CELT’s experience demonstrates that moving away from performance-related pay does not mean abandoning accountability or lowering expectations. Instead, leaders believe a people-centred approach can strengthen school improvement because staff feel trusted, motivated and supported. 

Personalised professional development undoubtedly requires investment, organisation and continual evaluation, but the example of this Cornish trust is surely that the long-term benefits for wellbeing, recruitment and retention make that commitment worthwhile.

Further Information

You can find advice and guidance on moving away from performance related pay on the ASCL website www.ascl.org.uk/MovingAwayFromPRP For a conversation with Richard Baker or Hayley Bissenden about their experience so far, email coeenquiries@coe.celtrust.org  

Chris Ingate
ASCL Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pay

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