3.3% Rise For All From April 1st

Performance Management and Performance Pay from September

The School Teachers Review Body has, true to form, rolled overand given the go-ahead for the Government’s Payment By ResultsProposals for Teachers.

From next September, annual target setting and performancereviews will be introduced for ALL teachers, whether or not theyare applying for, or are even eligible for, the new “thresholdpayment.” All heads are to be trained in how to do this performancemanagement later this year.

Despite expressing serious reservations about them, the ReviewBody has also given the go ahead to School Performance Awards(No! It’s not for how good your school play is. It’sfor how you do in the league tables) and for Fast Track pay andpromotion schemes for some new teachers.

The Details

Pay From April 1st

3.3% is added to all points on scales for classroom teachersand for heads and deputies.

Pay From September 1st.

• No-one’s pay goes down.
• Experience Points Remain unchanged.
• Responsibility points become allowances of a fixed value,rather than points on the scale. In money terms, this makes nodifference if you are at point 9 for experience. If you are below,it may mean a small increase.
• The same thing happens to Special Needs points.
• If anyone has points for Excellence, their actual salaryis protected but the scheme disappears.
• There are also new Recruitment and Retention allowancesto replace the present points on the spine, but existing holderswill be protected.
• There will be a new leadership group spine encompassingdeputies and other posts above +4. It will allow deputies in thesame schools to be paid different salaries.
• There will only be allowances corresponding to the first4 responsibility points in future. +5s can either go into theleadership team on a new scale and on heads’ and deputiesworking hours, or can seek protection of their salary outsidethis.
• Two points will be added to the top of the potential salaryrange for heads in each school group size.

Threshold Payment – What It Is and WhatYou Do.

The threshold payment will be £2,000 for anyone who getsit. After you get it, you are eligible for increments on an extendedscale, though they are not automatic, and no-one is expected toget one for another 2 years.

The first chance to apply to cross the threshold is beforethe Performance Management system starts. Application will beby filling in a form, available from school by the end of March.All applications for this year to be in by the end of May.

Heads will then assess the application using criteria yet tobe announced. Their judgments will be scrutinized by externalassessors (£300 per day if you want a bit of supply work),and decisions will be made no later than December. Pay to successfulapplicants will be backdated to September.

If you are moving school in the summer, your application hasto be to your current school. The threshold payments will be fundedcentrally, not out of the school’s budget.

Performance Management – The Real Threat

The Government is sticking to the idea that the best way tomotivate teachers is to bully and scare them.

So it is still insisting on every teacher being set annualtargets for measurable changes in pupil performance, startingthis September.

• Its examples are mostly based on end of year test andexam results.
• It is also insisting on annual “professional development”targets, without explicit funding for training and time off teachingto help achieve these.

Jumping Through Hoops

Rather than make teaching a more attractive profession by payingall teachers decently, the Government still wants to drip outany extra money by making teachers jump through hoops to get it,and to ration it by external assessment of school decisions toaward the new payments.

The NUT will continue to fight for properpay for all teachers and against payment by results.

Say What You Think

There is still an opportunity to join the demonstration againstPRP in London on February 12th. Contact the Office (01274 414664).Write to David Blunkett and to your local MP.

Inflation Busting Rise?

Average earnings in Britain are 4.6% up on this time last year. 10 years into teaching you will be lucky to be earning 75% ofthe average salary of a graduate in other occupations.