> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cleverschool.systems/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Professional Development

> Conceptual Model, Roles & Review Lifecycle

> [card] [Getting Started](./getting-started)

> [card] [Tutorials](./tutorials)

> [card] [Workflows](./workflows)

## Introduction

The Professional Development module equips schools and academy trusts with a transparent, collaborative framework to manage staff performance reviews, professional goals, and career progression throughout each academic year.

### Conceptual Model

The module structures professional development through a clear hierarchy of models and relationships:

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    Year["<b>Academic Calendar Year</b> (e.g. 2025/2026)<br/>Annual appraisal cycle • Defined term dates • School-wide"]
    Review["<b>Performance Review</b> (Per Staff Member)<br/>Appraisee • Appraiser • Staff Type • Confidentiality • Pay Eligibility<br/><i>Draft ➔ Agreed ➔ Interim ➔ Self-Review ➔ Final Review</i>"]
    Targets["<b>Performance Targets</b> (3–4 Objectives)<br/>• Target Area & Description<br/>• Success Criteria / Indicative Evidence<br/>• Support / Development Needs<br/>• Interim Progress Comment<br/>• Self-Review Reflection<br/>• Final Review & Outcome Rating"]
    Evidence["<b>Evidence Vault</b> (PDFs)<br/>• Lesson observation notes<br/>• CPD certificates & portfolios<br/>• Pupil attainment data summaries<br/>• Uploaded by Appraisee or Appraiser<br/>• Deleted only by Appraisee"]

    Year --> Review
    Review --> Targets
    Review --> Evidence
```

* **Annual Performance Review**: Every member of staff has a dedicated review record for each academic year. The review links the appraisee, their designated `Performance Appraiser`, their `Staff Type`, role title, pay progression status, and confidentiality level.
* **Performance Targets (Objectives)**: The review contains individual objectives (typically three or four). Each target tracks its associated **Target Area**, detailed description, required success criteria/indicative evidence, and professional development support needs, alongside progressive commentary at each review milestone.
* **Staff Types**: Categorise staff according to their role (e.g. *Teacher*, *Head of Department*, *Head of Year*, *Site Staff*, *Senior Leadership Team*). Staff types allow schools to assign relevant default objective templates and enforce group-wide confidentiality.
* **Target Areas**: Standardised subject or focus categories (e.g. *Pupil Outcomes*, *Teaching & Learning*, *Professional Development*, *Leadership & Management*) configured with exemplar text and success criteria templates.
* **Evidence Documents**: PDF evidence files uploaded during the year to substantiate progress against targets and professional standards.

***

## The 4-Phase Review Lifecycle

The annual appraisal process transitions through four sequential phases. At each milestone, specific sign-offs are required before data is locked and the review advances:

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    subgraph Phase1["Phase 1: Objective Setting"]
        Draft["1. Draft<br/><i>Targets formulated</i>"] -->|Appraisee Agrees| AgreedOwner["Agreed by Owner<br/><i>Awaiting confirmation</i>"]
        AgreedOwner -->|Appraiser Confirms| Agreed["2. Agreed<br/><i>Targets locked</i>"]
    end

    subgraph Phase2["Phase 2: Interim Review"]
        InterimOwner["Interim (Owner)<br/><i>Mid-year commentary logged</i>"] -->|Appraiser Confirms| Interim["3. Interim<br/><i>Interim sign-off completed</i>"]
    end

    subgraph Phase3["Phase 3: Self-Review"]
        SelfReviewed["Self-Review Submitted<br/><i>Self-reflection & PDF evidence</i>"]
    end

    subgraph Phase4["Phase 4: Final Evaluation"]
        FinalReview["4. Final Review<br/><i>Ratings & evaluative commentary</i>"] -->|Appraiser Completes| Completed["Final Review Completed<br/><i>PDF dossier emailed</i>"]
    end

    Agreed -->|Mid-Year Check-in| InterimOwner
    Interim -->|End-of-Year Reflection| SelfReviewed
    SelfReviewed -->|Notifies Appraiser| FinalReview
```

### Phase 1: Objective Setting (`Draft` ➔ `Agreed`)

1. **Target Formulation**: During the initial autumn meeting, the appraisee and appraiser discuss and formulate objectives. Targets can be created manually, populated from **Staff Type** templates, or copied forward from the previous academic year.
2. **Criteria & Support**: Every objective must have substantive entries for **Success Criteria / Indicative Evidence** and **Support / Professional Development Needs** (can be noted as *TBC* or *N/A* if necessary).
3. **Appraisee Agreement (`AgreedOwner`)**: The appraisee reviews the targets on the system and clicks **Agree Objectives**. This locks target editing for the appraisee and notifies the appraiser.
4. **Appraiser Confirmation (`Agreed`)**: The appraiser confirms agreement on the system. The targets are officially locked for the start of the academic year.

### Phase 2: Interim Review (`Agreed` ➔ `Interim`)

1. **Mid-Year Check-in**: Part way through the year, the appraisee and appraiser meet to evaluate progress against each objective.
2. **Interim Commentary**: Either the appraisee or appraiser enters notes in the **Interim Comment** field for each target.
3. **Dual Agreement**: Once all targets have interim comments, the appraisee confirms agreement first (`InterimOwner`), followed by the appraiser confirming agreement (`Interim`). The review is locked at the interim stage.

### Phase 3: Self-Review (`Interim` ➔ `Self-Reviewed`)

1. **End-of-Year Reflection**: Towards the end of the appraisal cycle, the appraisee enters their self-reflection in the **Self-Review** field for every objective.
2. **Evidence Attachment**: The appraisee uploads supporting PDF documents (e.g., student outcome data, CPD certificates, lesson feedback).
3. **Submission**: Once all targets have a self-review entry, the appraisee clicks **Submit Self-Review**. The review transitions to `Self-Reviewed` and automatically notifies the appraiser that the review is ready for final assessment.

### Phase 4: Final Review (`Self-Reviewed` ➔ `Reviewed`)

1. **Objective Evaluations**: The appraiser enters a **Final Review Comment** for each objective and assigns a formal outcome rating:
   * **Met** (Green)
   * **Partially Met** (Orange)
   * **Not Met** (Red)
2. **Overarching Review Sections**: The appraiser completes overall evaluative commentary covering:
   * **Professional Standards Review**: Commentary on adherence to national or trust professional standards.
   * **Strengths**: Celebrated achievements and key pedagogical/operational contributions.
   * **Areas for Development**: Constructive developmental focus points for future cycles.
   * **Summary**: Overarching appraisal evaluation.
   * **Pay Progression Recommendation**: Formal recommendation on pay progression (if marked eligible).
3. **Appraisee Final Comment**: The appraisee enters their concluding reflection on the review.
4. **Completion**: The appraiser completes the review (`Reviewed`), finalising the annual cycle. A clean PDF summary is generated and emailed to both the appraisee and appraiser.

> [!TIP]
>
> **Stage Reversion**: If amendments or corrections are needed at any point, an appraiser can use the **Revert to previous stage** action to move the review back (e.g. from *Agreed* back to *Draft*, or *Interim* back to *Agreed*) to enable further editing.

***

## Roles & Permissions Matrix

The module enforces granular role-based access control to maintain strict privacy, clear accountability, and smooth delegation:

> [tab] Administrator
>
> **Tenant System Administration**
>
> * Enable and disable the Professional Development module in **Administration** > **Modules**.
> * Assign the `Performance Manager` role to senior leaders or HR coordinators.
> * Receive automated weekly alerts if the module is enabled without an active manager.

> [tab] Performance Manager
>
> **School-Wide Appraisal Leadership**
>
> * Access the central **Manage Appraisal** console (`/performance/admin`).
> * View and monitor all staff reviews across the school (except those marked as *Confidential* where they are neither appraisee nor appraiser).
> * Assign and reallocate `Performance Appraisers` and `Staff Types` across all staff members.
> * Manage academic **Calendar Years**, **Staff Types**, and **Target Areas**.
> * Manage pay progression eligibility and review overall pay progression recommendations.
> * Send bulk custom email messages and trigger reminder notifications.
> * Export comprehensive school-wide appraisal spreadsheets (Excel/CSV) for governors and trust executives.

> [tab] Performance Appraiser
>
> **Appraisal Delivery & Evaluation**
>
> * View and manage assigned appraisees on the **Appraisals** dashboard (`/performance/review`).
> * Collaborate on drafting, refining, and agreeing targets.
> * Record mid-year interim review comments and confirm interim sign-off.
> * Conduct final evaluative reviews: assign target outcomes (*Met*, *Partially Met*, *Not Met*), complete overarching evaluation sections, and make pay progression recommendations.
> * Mark individual reviews as *Confidential*.
> * Revert reviews to previous stages when revisions are required.
> * Upload PDF evidence documents and download printable PDF dossiers.

> [tab] School Staff (Appraisee)
>
> **Personal Review Ownership & Reflection**
>
> * Access personal appraisal records across all academic years via **My personal development plans** (`/performance/review`).
> * Formulate, edit, and agree draft objectives.
> * Input interim review commentary and agree the mid-year review.
> * Complete and submit end-of-year self-reflection for each objective.
> * Add final review comments before completion.
> * Upload supporting PDF evidence files and delete own evidence documents.
> * Download and print personal appraisal PDF records at any stage.

> [tab] Performance Viewer
>
> **Read-Only Oversight**
>
> * Read-only access to non-confidential appraisal records where authorised for governance, trust review, or moderation purposes.
> * Cannot create targets, modify comments, or change review states.

***

## Confidentiality & Data Security

Appraisals are highly confidential personnel documents. The module enforces rigorous confidentiality rules to protect staff privacy:

* **Default Access**: By default, an appraisal is accessible only by the **Appraisee**, their designated **Performance Appraiser**, and users holding the **Performance Manager** role (for quality assurance and process coordination).
* **Individual Review Confidentiality**: An appraiser can toggle an individual review as **Confidential**. Once marked confidential, the review is strictly hidden from `Performance Managers`—only the appraisee and their assigned appraiser can view or edit the record.
* **Staff Type Confidentiality**: An entire **Staff Type** can be marked as confidential (e.g., *Senior Leadership Team*, *Headteacher*). Any review associated with that staff type is automatically locked down so that other senior leaders who hold `Performance Manager` permissions cannot view peer or executive reviews.
* **Evidence Ownership**: Both appraisee and appraiser can upload PDF evidence documents, but evidence files can only be deleted by the appraisee who owns the record.

***

## User Interface & Screen Tour

### 1. Appraisals Hub (`/performance/review`)

The main entry point for all staff members:

* **My Personal Development Plans**: Displays the logged-in user's own performance reviews across all academic years.
* **My Reviews of Others**: Lists all staff members currently assigned to the logged-in user for appraisal in the selected academic year.
* **Academic Year Selector**: Switch between academic years to view past records or manage current cycles.
* **Status Badges**: Real-time colour-coded badges indicating current review progress (*Draft*, *Agreed*, *Interim*, *Self-Reviewed*, *Reviewed*).

### 2. Performance Review Workspace (`/performance/review/{id}`)

The central collaborative workspace for a specific review:

* **Header Controls**: View appraisee details, role, assigned appraiser, staff type, and confidentiality toggle.
* **Stage Progression Bar**: Visual timeline tracking the four review phases with clear sign-off action buttons.
* **Target List**: Ordered list of objectives showing target area, title, description, and status.
* **Objective Actions**: Add new targets, insert default staff type templates, or copy forward objectives from previous years.
* **Evidence Link**: Direct access to the attached PDF evidence vault.
* **Print PDF**: Instantly generate and download a clean, formatted PDF dossier of the review.

### 3. Target Detail View (`/performance/review/{id}/target/{target_id}`)

A focused view for editing and evaluating an individual objective:

* **Structured Fields**: Edit the Target Description, Success Criteria / Indicative Evidence, and Support / Professional Development Needs.
* **Progressive Review Fields**: Context-sensitive fields for *Interim Review*, *Self-Review*, and *Final Review* enabled according to current review stage.
* **Outcome Rating Selector**: Select outcome (*Met*, *Partially Met*, *Not Met*) during the final review phase.
* **Quick Navigation**: Use **Next** and **Previous** buttons to cycle seamlessly between targets.

### 4. Manage Appraisal Console (`/performance/admin`)

The central administrative portal for `Performance Managers`:

* **Master Staff Table**: Filter and search all staff reviews by academic year, staff type, review stage, pay progression eligibility, and exemption.
* **Bulk Operations**: Bulk assign appraisers, allocate staff types, update pay progression eligibility, exempt staff, or add template objectives to multiple staff members simultaneously.
* **Email Staff**: Compose and dispatch direct group emails to selected or filtered staff cohorts.
* **Export Data**: Export comprehensive appraisal data to Excel/CSV for leadership analysis and trust reporting.
* **Sub-Administration Links**: Direct navigation to manage **Appraisal Years**, **Appraisers**, **Staff Types**, and **Objective Areas**.

***

## Automated Notification Schedule

The module automates communication through event-driven alerts and scheduled reminder digests:

| Notification | Recipient | Trigger / Condition | Purpose |
| :- | :- | :- | :- |
| **Draft Targets Agreed** | Appraiser | Appraisee agrees draft objectives | Prompts appraiser to review and confirm draft targets. |
| **Targets Confirmed** | Appraisee | Appraiser confirms draft objectives | Informs appraisee that annual targets are formally locked. |
| **Interim Agreed** | Appraiser | Appraisee agrees interim review | Prompts appraiser to review and confirm mid-year progress. |
| **Interim Confirmed** | Appraisee | Appraiser confirms interim review | Confirms interim review completion. |
| **Self-Review Submitted** | Appraiser | Appraisee submits self-review | Notifies appraiser that self-reflection is complete and final review can begin. |
| **Review Finalised** | Appraisee & Appraiser | Appraiser completes final review | Delivers final completion confirmation and PDF copy. |
| **Review Reverted** | Appraisee / Appraiser | Review reverted to earlier stage | Alerts user that review has been reopened for editing. |
| **Milestone Reminders** | Appraisees / Appraisers | Weekly scheduled job | Alerts staff of pending draft agreements, interim reviews, self-reviews, or unfinalised reviews. |
| **Ghost Appraiser Alert** | Performance Managers | Weekly scheduled job | Flags active staff reviews that have no assigned appraiser. |
| **Missing Manager Alert** | Administrators | Weekly scheduled job | Warns administrators when the module is enabled without an assigned manager. |

***

## Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) & Central Coordination

For Multi-Academy Trusts, federations, and local authorities managing performance across multiple schools:

* **Centrally Standardised Templates**: Trust leaders can define standardised **Staff Types** and **Target Areas** with pre-populated objective templates. Centrally managed items display a green lock icon in local school settings to prevent unauthorised local edits.
* **Harmonised Academic Years**: Standardised calendar years and term structures can be propagated centrally while allowing individual academies to tailor specific term dates.
* **Automated Daily Sync**: Updates to central templates automatically synchronise across all member academy tenants daily.
* **Local Autonomy & Appraisal Delivery**: Local schools maintain autonomy over appraiser assignments, individual target customisation, evidence gathering, and final evaluative decisions.

***

## Next Steps & Guides

> [card] [Tutorials & Step-by-Step Guides](./tutorials)
>
> Practical walkthroughs for setting targets, conducting reviews, uploading evidence, and completing final appraisals.

> [card] [Getting Started Guide](./getting-started)
>
> Step-by-step setup guide for administrators and newly appointed performance managers.


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