In a small school that will be the head. In larger schools it is likely to be a member of the school or departmental management team. You start by agreeing individual objectives with your team leader, who monitors and supports your progress during the year. The cycle ends with an annual review at which you and your team leader discuss your performance in a structured way, recognising achievements and identifying development needs. Your team leader uses the objectives as a focus to make a professional judgement about your overall effectiveness.
Schools can choose the timing of the cycle.
In the introductory year headteachers must have agreed their objectives by 31 December 2000 and teachers by 28 February 2001. They should reflect agreed priorities for the coming year, including the ways in which the teacher helps his or her pupils. For teachers, at least one objective should be about pupil progress. It should be based on a realistic assessment of what your pupils can be expected to achieve, based on what is already known about them. The focus might be on individual pupils, groups or a whole class.