Target setting for new teachers

As a student teacher you were probably required to work towards targets on a weekly basis. As a newly qualified teacher the focus on target setting is reduced, and you should have more of a say on the focus.

You will have targets from the end of your teacher training that can carry over into your first year as a new teacher. These will be important but as you start in a new school you may find other areas become a priority and so your targets need to change. In addition to targets being specifically around your application of the teaching standards in the classrooms, you may well have wider targets around achievement and targets for your pupils. You should also have opportunity to identify targets for your own personal professional development. These could link to your own development needs or career interests, such as specialising in subject leadership.

Before you start and have these initial conversations about your targets, it is useful to have already thought about these and have firm ideas as to what you want to achieve. The next few steps take you through this process. Thinking about the CPD opportunities, the people who are available to help you and your reflections on your journey, have a think about some of the aspects you would like to focus on over the next year. You may also want to think about some of the new freedoms you now have and explore opportunities such as organising school visits or entering your pupils into competitions.

The next stage asks you to identify some targets you may want to focus on over the next year and identify how you can plan to achieve them.