Unattached teachers' pay policy

Policy overview

This policy applies to centrally appointed teachers. It aims to relate unattached teachers' performance to teacher standards and any other applicable standards:

  • to the educational needs of all children and young people 
  • to the professional development of unattached teachers 
  • to recognising the individual contribution unattached teachers make to education within the county 

The senior service manager is responsible for all relating policy matters. Assistance is available from the HR department.  

This policy aims to ensure: 

  • the pay for unattached teachers is fair, transparent and consistent 
  • the pay is in line with the school teachers' pay and conditions document

Deciding teachers' pay

Teachers' pay should be between the top and bottom of the pay ranges. The school teachers' pay and conditions document (STPCD) contains the pay ranges. 

Senior managers have the discretion to operate within: 

  • the full range of incentive options, subject to certain rules 
  • equal pay or value requirements 

We ensure salary safeguarding of teachers employed by us who get a permanent allowance. This is subject to the STPCD. 

If an unattached teacher is displaced due to closure and re-appointed salary safeguarding will apply. Salary safeguarding does not apply to unattached teachers moving to academy status. 

We will not pay an honorarium payment to a teacher under any circumstances.  

Dealing with pay appeals 

Teachers can appeal against pay decisions and progression through the pay appeal mechanism. This is set out in our pay policy.  

Job descriptions 

We will give job descriptions to unattached teachers. We will consult over the content. We will discuss any proposed reviews to reach an agreement with individual post-holders. 

Performance management and appraisal 

Performance management and appraisal is a shared commitment to high performance. It helps to focus attention on more effective coaching and monitoring. This helps to raise the quality of teaching and benefits children and young people across the county. 

Learning and development ensure job satisfaction, expertise and progression for teachers. We have a specific appraisal process in place for unattached teachers. 

Pay progression is subject to a successful appraisal review against agreed objectives. The senior manager will make the decision. They will also consider criteria and guidance in the STPCD and other relevant standards. 

Where there has been poor performance, the senior manager might decide to withhold pay progression as per our capability policy and procedure. 

We assess performance in line with: 

Discretions applicable to teachers

The senior manager for the service will make fair and equitable decisions. The manager will follow the guidance of the STPCD. The following will apply: 

Teaching staff 

The salaries of qualified teachers are determined by: 

  • the point on the main or upper pay range determined through appointment or annual appraisal 
  • any teaching and learning responsibility payments 
  • any additional allowances held for recruitment and retention 
  • any additional allowances held for teaching children with special educational needs 
  • if the individual is entitled to a higher salary because of safeguarding 

This excludes the leadership group and leading practitioners. 

A salary review will take place on 1 September each year. We will issue a salary statement by 31 October. We may undertake reviews at other times during the year, but only if there is a need to do so. 

We make the salary assessment under the following headings:

Teachers on the main pay range 

We pay teachers on the six-point scale on the main pay range. 

Experience (main pay range only) – we give pay progression after a successful performance and appraisal review. Reviews are successful unless concerns about performance have not been addressed through support provided by the service.  

A year's service is a minimum of 26 weeks on a full or part-time basis during the academic year. 

We may award extra pay progression due to excellent performance over the previous year. 

Senior managers may withhold pay progression following unsatisfactory performance. We will inform the teacher of this in writing: 

  • before the end of the academic year 
  • before the manager makes a final decision 

The senior manager may decide later to reinstate the pay progression if appropriate. 

Experience outside the maintained sector is often relevant to pay appointments. Where a teacher has non-teaching experience, the senior manager will consider its value to the post. This will be on a case-by-case basis. 

Moving from the main pay range to the upper pay range (UPR) 

We pay teachers on the UPR on the three-point scale on the upper pay range.  

Applications taking effect from 1 September must be made on or before 31 October of the same year. Applications must be in writing to the senior manager. 

Eligible teachers who have been successful in the threshold assessment will move to the upper range. The assessment will include the two most recent performance management and appraisal reviews and is successful, where: 

  • the teacher is highly competent in all the elements of the teacher standards 
  • the teacher's achievements and contributions to the service are substantial and sustained. For example, this should be for a minimum of two years 

Once on UPR, teachers can progress up the range based on two consecutive successful performance reviews. Meeting performance objectives will not lead to automatic movement up the pay range. Reviews are successful unless: 

  • we raise significant performance concerns in writing during the performance management and appraisal cycle, and
  • any concerns have not been addressed through support provided by the school 

Senior managers may freeze pay progression following poor performance. This will relate to the previous two years. In this case, we will inform the teacher in writing before the end of the academic year. This will be before the manager makes a final decision. The senior manager may later decide to reinstate the pay progression if appropriate. 

The senior manager will give any such points from 1 September. This is usually once every two years, other than in exceptional circumstances. They will not give points by more than one at a time during a single annual salary review.  

Leading practitioners 

We will pay leading practitioners on the leading practitioner pay range.  

Where the structure has leading practitioners, existing advanced skills and excellent teachers will be added to that pay range. This will be at a point or individual pay range which maintains as a minimum their existing pay.  

Where there are fewer leading practitioner posts than existing AS teachers and excellent teachers, there might be a restructure. Advice is available from an HR adviser. 

We base progression up the range on two consecutive, successful performance reviews. Meeting performance objectives will not lead to automatic movement up the pay range. Reviews are successful unless: 

  • we raise significant performance concerns in writing during the performance management and appraisal cycle, and
  • any performance concerns have not been sufficiently addressed through support provided by the school 

Teaching and learning responsibility payments

We will assign teaching and learning responsibility payments (TLR) in line with the agreed staffing structure. This includes an assessment of the duties based on the factors below. 

The senior manager may award a TLR1 or TLR2 to an unattached teacher for taking on additional tasks. This ensures the continued delivery of high-quality teaching and learning. 

The senior manager may award a fixed-term TLR3 to an unattached teacher for: 

  • time-limited school improvement projects 
  • one-off externally driven responsibilities 

We will agree on clear criteria for the award, level and duration. 

The senior manager will consider job weight when deciding the sum of TLR payments. We give equal value to posts of equal weight. Any changes to this will be subject to staff consultation.  

Before awarding a TLR, the teacher must show significant extra duties which: 

  • are focused on teaching and learning 
  • require the exercise of a teacher's professional skills and judgement 
  • require the teacher to lead, manage and develop a subject or curriculum area or to lead and manage pupil development across the curriculum
  • impacts the progress of pupils beyond their assigned groups of children, and
  • involves leading, developing and enhancing the teaching practice of other staff 

Before awarding a TLR 1, the teacher must show line management of several people. 

If we give TLRs of different values to two or more teachers, the minimum differences are: 

  • TLR 1 £1,500 
  • TLR 2 £1,500 

Leading practitioners are not eligible for TLR payments.  

Allowances

Recruitment and retention allowances 

Where required, recruitment and retention awards can be: 

  • paid for a maximum of three years 
  • extended in "exceptional circumstances" 

We decide the value on an ad hoc basis and agree it with HR. The senior manager will review the level of payment yearly. 

We might agree a "golden handcuffs" arrangement. In this case, we may store allowances for up to three years and pay as a lump sum at the end. This is dependent on the teacher concerned remaining in post. 

Special Educational Needs allowances  

Special Educational Needs (SEN) allowances of between £2,384 and £4,703 per annum are payable to those: 

  • in any SEN post needing a mandatory SEN qualification 
  • who mostly work in special schools 
  • who teach pupils in one or more local authority unit or service 
  • in any other setting where the post: 
    • involves a substantial element of working directly with children with special educational needs 
    • requires the use of a teacher's professional skills and judgement 
    • and has more involvement with children with special needs than normal 

When paying an SEN allowance, the value will consider: 

  • the structure of the SEN provision 
  • whether any mandatory qualifications are needed for the post 
  • the qualifications or expertise of the teacher relevant to the post and the relative demands of the post 

Other payments

The senior manager can make payments as they see fit to an unattached teacher for: 

  • continuing professional development outside the school day 
  • actions to provide initial teacher training as part of the normal service 
  • joining in out-of-school hours learning activity (as agreed between the teacher and the senior manager) 
  • additional actions helping to raise educational standards to one or more schools 

This does not apply to headteachers appointed either permanently or temporarily. 

Senior managers can choose an hourly rate for this work which can be: 

  • an hourly rate as per short notice or supply teachers 
  • a flat rate payment in line with the responsibility and commitment 

Under no circumstances can they make an honorarium payment to a teacher. 

Other teaching staff

Part-time teachers 

Unattached teachers who work less than a full working day or week are part-time. The senior manager will give them a written statement detailing their working time and their pay. This is subject to the statutory pay arrangements. 

Short notice or supply teachers 

Unattached teachers working on short notice are paid in line with the statutory arrangements. Teachers paid on a daily basis will have their salary: 

  • assessed as an annual amount 
  • divided by 195 and multiplied by the number of days worked 

We will calculate the salary of unattached teachers who work less than a full day and pay them by the hour. 

Unqualified teachers 

The points in this section are suggestions only.  

Senior managers have complete discretion as to how to award points to unqualified teachers. 

The senior manager will consider any relevant qualifications and experience. We will appoint unqualified teachers above the minimum if they have:  

  • a recognised overseas teaching qualification (two points) 
  • a recognised post-16 teaching qualification (two points) 
  • a recognised qualification relevant to their subject area (two points) 

We can offer an allowance to unqualified teachers if the basic salary does not match their duties. The amount is usually the difference between point one of the qualified and their point on the unqualified scales. 

Unqualified teachers on an employment-based route into teaching are paid on the unqualified scale. Exceptional circumstances may allow alternative options. 

Additional points 

Senior managers may award one point on the main scale for:  

  • each year of service as an overseas-trained teacher  
  • each year of service teaching in further education, including sixth form colleges 
  • each year of service teaching in higher education 

We will consider non-teaching experience by its value to the post held. We will make decisions on an individual basis, whether to grant points for that experience. 

Job relativity 

The senior manager will follow the requirements relating to equal pay or value. 

Salary sacrifice 

Employees who joined the council's childcare voucher scheme provided by Sodexo before 5 October 2018 can: 

  • remain in the scheme 
  • re-join the scheme if there has not been a break of more than 12 months 

Otherwise, employees may choose to join the Government's tax-free childcare scheme.  

Appeals procedure

A member of staff may appeal against: 

  • any decision relating to their pay 
  • any other decision taken by the senior manager that affects their pay 

The grounds for appeal are that the senior manager who made the decision: 

  • wrongly used the national or local conditions of service 
  • failed to follow statutory guidance 
  • failed to consider all the facts 
  • used incorrect evidence 
  • was biased 
  • unlawfully discriminated against the member of staff 

Order of proceedings 

  1. The employee receives the pay decision and reasons in writing. If they disagree, they tell the manager within ten working days. 
  2. An informal discussion might resolve the issue. If this does not work, we will apply a formal process.  
  3. The employee should write down their issues with the decision and send it to the directorate management team (DMT). This should be within ten working days of the informal discussion. 
  4. Members of the DMT will hold a hearing within ten working days. This will give the employee a chance to explain their appeal in person. We will provide details from the original decision to the employee in writing. 
  5. Three senior managers who were not involved in the original decision will hear the appeal. They will hold it within 20 working days. The employee appealing can present their case, accompanied by: 
    • a trade union representative or official, or
    • a work colleague
  6. Once the panel reaches a decision, they will tell the employee in writing. This decision is final, and there is no further right to appeal.