Joan Dean has taken on a difficult task in trying to produce something that adds new insights to this important feature of school life. Schools needed to have the performance management process running two years ago, and a great deal of advice was available at that time.

The author makes the point that the education scene is one of continual change, and performance management doesn’t escape. The annual Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document almost always contains amendments that will have a bearing on performance management, and a book like this is bound to contain detail that is no longer up to date.

Any Rip van Winkle who has missed the training days, the Department for Education and Skills video and the mountains of guidance produced by local education authorities and teacher associations might be better off surfing the internet to catch up with the latest requirements.

Much of the book covers familiar ground of school culture, roles and responsibilities and self-evaluation, drawing on studies in educational management from a wide variety of sources to produce sensible advice.

Dean’s many years of successful inspection experience shine through in the chapters on the training of staff, process review and the chapter on failing teachers. If you need guidance in these areas, or are looking for a handy source of well-referenced background information on issues relating to performance management, this is the book for you.