Before adding a new development goal for the coming term, look at the one already on the page. Is it still relevant? Has the person had a chance to work on it? Has a change in responsibilities made another priority more useful?

A short reset can give an existing plan a clear place in the term ahead. It can also acknowledge progress that would otherwise be lost when everyone moves straight to the next set of expectations. Include teachers, leaders and support colleagues in that review, with goals that fit their particular work.

Start with what has changed

Ask each person to bring one example of progress and one point they would like to discuss. Keep preparation manageable. An existing piece of work or a brief reflection can be enough to begin the conversation.

Then look at the coming term. Someone may be working with a different group, taking on a coordination responsibility or learning a new administrative process. Check what those changes mean for the original goal before assuming it should carry forward unchanged.

Where the goal still matters, say why. Where it has been achieved, recognise the evidence and close it. If it should be paused or replaced, record the reason so the decision is clear when you return to the plan.

Choose a focus small enough to use

Try describing the next step as something the person will practise in an ordinary part of their work. ‘Develop confidence’ needs further discussion. What would they feel more ready to do, and where would you expect to see that change?

For example, imagine a teaching assistant who wants to contribute more confidently to the planning of small-group activities. They and their manager might agree that, for one regular activity, they will review the intended learning together and discuss an adaptation the assistant proposes.

That arrangement creates a specific opportunity to contribute. It also gives the next review a practical focus: what did they propose, what happened when they tried it and what would help them prepare the next activity? The plan should reflect the responsibilities and support appropriate to that person’s role.

Put the support into the timetable

A development activity needs room in the working week. Agree when preparation, practice and feedback will happen. If another colleague’s involvement is essential, check their availability rather than adding their name to the plan and assuming the arrangement will follow.

In the teaching assistant example, the manager needs to arrange a suitable planning opportunity and time to discuss the activity afterwards. If that time cannot be made available, revise the plan before treating a lack of progress as the employee’s failure.

Be equally clear about competing priorities. Adding a goal may mean delaying another piece of development or reducing its scope. That is a decision to make together, with a record of what has changed.

Agree when to return to the plan

If you want a simple format, set aside around twenty minutes for a reset conversation. Use it to review progress, choose the next practical focus and agree the support. That timing is a starting suggestion; allow more space where someone needs it.

Choose a review point after the person has had a reasonable opportunity to practise. Put it in both diaries and note the example you expect to discuss. A clear review point allows the plan to respond to what actually happens during the term.

Before the meeting ends, ask the person to describe their next step in their own words. Then describe what you will do to help. Both commitments should be clear enough to act on when the term begins.

Use the guidance hub to prepare for your next development conversation.

Related insight: A different approach to professional growth