How would you deal with an underperforming member of staff? It’s an uncomfortable issue for many school leaders and it’s tough to know how best to proceed. With the increasingly vigilant Ofsted inspections, school leaders are under more pressure than ever to ensure that their staff meet the expected level of performance.

This course is divided into four units designed to lead you through the challenging process of tackling underperformance.

Aims and outcomes

• Identify underperforming staff and formulate an action plan.
• Discover how to seek out and enact constructive, positive solutions to underperformance.
• Learn how to handle conflict calmly and constructively.
• Understand how to be empathetic and robust in your emotional responses.
• Find out how to carry out a ‘courageous conversation’ in more difficult circumstances.

Authors: Caroline Collins and Edward Gildea