1.INTRODUCTION

1.1This policy sets out ourframework of Prospect Academies Trust for all our Schools for making decisions on teachers’ pay. It has been developed in consultation with staff and the National Union Forum in accordance with the Partnership Protocol.

1.2In preparing this Policy we have consideredthe extracts from the Academies’ Finance Handbook at Appendix 1and the extracts from Ofsted documentation at Appendix 2.

1.3In this Policy “School” means any of ourschools, colleges or academies and “Headteacher” means any headteacher or principal.

1.4For the avoidance of doubt teachers working on a part-time basis shall have the same opportunity to progress through the pay ranges as those working full-time.

2.OUROVERRIDINGPURPOSE

Our aim is for all teaching in all lessons by all teachers in all our Schools to be ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ to ensure the best possible education for all ourstudents.This policy supports that aim by:

  • supporting the recruitment and retention of a high quality teacher workforce
  • recognising and rewarding teachers appropriately for their contribution to the school
  • ensuring that decisions on pay are managed in a fair, just and transparent way
  • focussing on the central importance of high quality teaching and learning, improving standards and making a positive impact on pupil progress and outcomes.

This policy refers to the Teachers’ Standards. By way of a reminder, Part I of the Standards requires a teacher to:

  1. Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
  1. Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
  1. Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
  1. Plan and teach well-structured lessons
  1. Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
  1. Make accurate and productive use of assessment
  1. Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
  1. Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

Part II of the Standards requires a teacher to:

  • demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct
  • uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, by:
  • treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position
  • having regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions
  • showing tolerance of and respect for the rights of others
  • not undermining fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
  • ensuring that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils’ vulnerability or might lead them to break the law.
  • have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach, and maintain high standards in their own attendance and punctuality, in accordance with the Staff Code of Conduct.
  • have an understanding of, and always act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their professional duties and responsibilities.

3.DELEGATION OF POWERS FOR PAY DECISIONS

3.1Decisions relating to pay awards shall be made in accordance with the chart below.

Role / Recommender / Decision Maker/ Reviewer / Appeal
TheSchool’s Headteacher / The School’s Leadership Appraisal Group / The Trust’s Chief Executive / The Trust’s Pay Appeal Panel
Other staff on Leadership Pay Scale / The School’s Headteacherand the Leadership Appraisal Group / The Trust’s Chief Executive or his nominee / The Trust’s Pay Appeal Panel
Upper Pay Range (including decision to join Upper Pay Range)and Leading Practitioners / A member of the School’s Leadership team / The School’s Headteacher / The Trust’s Chief Executive or his nominee
Main Pay Range / Appraiser(with Headteacher’s nominee if appropriate) / The School’s Headteacher / The Trust’s Chief Executive or his nominee
Unqualified Pay Range / Appraiser(with Headteacher’s nominee if appropriate) / The School’s Headteacher / The Trust’s Chief Executive or his nominee

3.2The Headteacher may choose to involve members of the School’s Leadership team or middle management in assessing evidence before making a decision or recommendation. The Headteacherwill assess appropriate evidence before making a decision or recommendation.

3.3Each School’s Local Governing Body will have a Leadership Appraisal Group comprising three non-staff Governors.

Pay Appeal

3.4Our Strategic Board shall have a Pay Appeal Panel of no more than three directors (none of whom shall be a Headteacher working for the Trust).

3.5A pay decision means any decision by a Decision Maker listed in the table at 3.1 to award a pay rise or to not award a pay rise in respect of an employee. It does not include a reference to a pay recommendation. In the event that an employee is dissatisfied with a pay decision they may request a review by the decision maker which will involve a personal hearing held within 10 working days of the original decision and at which the employeemay make representations and may be accompanied by a co-worker or accredited trade union representative.

3.6If the employee is dissatisfied with the pay decision after the review they may appeal within 5 working days of the reviewdecision, in accordance with 3.1 above. An appeal hearing will be heard within 15 working days of the appeal. The employee may be accompanied by a co-worker or accredited trade union representative. The appealdecision is final.

4.LEADERSHIP PAY SCALE

4.1The Leadership Pay Scale for 2013/14 is as follows:

L1 / 37,836 / L16 / 54,849 / L31 / 79,081
L2 / 38,784 / L17 / 56,109 / L32 / 81,047
L3 / 39,752 / L18 / 57,520 / L33 / 83,061
L4 / 40,743 / L19 / 58,946 / L34 / 85,114
L5 / 41,757 / L20 / 60,408 / L35 / 87,229
L6 / 42,803 / L21 / 61,901 / L36 / 89,390
L7 / 43,957 / L22 / 63,440 / L37 / 91,612
L8 / 44,971 / L23 / 65,011 / L38 / 93,878
L9 / 46,094 / L24 / 66,623 / L39 / 96,166
L10 / 47,277 / L25 / 68,279 / L40 / 98,566
L11 / 48,505 / L26 / 69,986 / L41 / 101,029
L12 / 49,622 / L27 / 71,701 / L42 / 103,560
L13 / 50,863 / L28 / 73,480 / L43 / 106,148
L14 / 52,131 / L29 / 75,300
L15 / 53,429 / L30 / 77,174

4.2Neither a new post on the Leadership Pay Scale nor any vacant post on the Leadership Pay Scale will be advertised without prior approval of the Strategic Boardwho shall set the appropriate range for the relevant role. There is no right of appeal against the salary level to which a person is appointed.

4.3Progression on the Leadership Pay Scalewill follow Part 2 of the STPCD 2013 which requires that there will be no progression unless there has been sustained high quality of performancejudged against:

  • Performance objectives
  • Specific job description
  • The Teachers’ Standards

Under no circumstances may more than two points be awarded and it is envisaged that an award of two points will be exceptional and will require detailed justification.The Trust will take into consideration the needto maintain appropriate differentials.

4.4The provisions of the STPCD 2013 capping discretionary payments to Headteachers shall apply.

4.5TLRs and Project Bonuses may not be paid to employees on the Leadership Pay Scale

5.BASIC PAY DETERMINATION ON APPOINTMENT – CLASSROOM TEACHERS

5.1Any vacant posts for classroom teachers will be advertised as being between the minimum of the Main Pay Range and the maximum of the Upper Pay Range.

5.2On appointment the School’s Headteacher will (in conjunction with any Governor involved in the recruitment process)determine the starting salary to be offered to the successful candidate within those ranges.

5.3In making such determinations, a range of factors may be considered including the following:

  • The current salary earned by the candidate.
  • The requirements of the post
  • Any specialist knowledge required for the post
  • The experience required to undertake the specific duties of the post
  • The wider school context
  • The local labour market for teachers of particular subjects
  • The candidate’s academic qualifications
  • The candidate’s experience of teaching
  • Any verified evidence of the candidate’s responsibility for improvement in pupil progress achievement or attainment or in modelling school improvement

5.4We anticipate it will be an unusual occurrence to pay less than the candidate was currently earning.

5.5There is no right of appeal against the salary level to which a person is appointed.

5.6 Teachers employed on an ongoing basis who work less than a full working week are deemed to be part-time. We will give them a written statement detailing their working time obligations and the standard mechanism used to determine their pay, subject to the provisions of the statutory pay and working time arrangements and by comparison with the school’s timetabled teaching week for a full-time teacher in an equivalent post. We shall follow Paragraphs 57-63 of the STPCD guidance.

5.7 Teachers employed on a day-to-day or other short notice basis will be paid on a daily basis calculated on the assumption that a full working year consists of 195 days; periods of employment for less than a day being calculated pro-rata.

6. PAY REVIEW PROCESS

6.1All teachers can expect to receive regular, constructive feedback on their performance and are subject to annual appraisal that recognises their strengths, informs plans for their future development, and helps to enhance their professional practice. The arrangements for teacher appraisal are set out in ourTeacher Appraisal Policy. This policy may include career progression benchmarks and does include our expectation that all teachers will have an annual target for pupil progress.

6.2Each School will ensure that each teacher’s salary is reviewed annually, with effect from 1 Septemberand no later than 31 October each year, and that all teachers (including those on the Leadership Pay Scale) are given a written statement setting out their salary and any other financial benefits to which they are entitled.

6.3Where a pay determination leads or may lead to the start of a period of safeguarding, the School will give the required notification as soon as possible and no later than one month after the date of the determination.

7.EVIDENCE BASE FOR PAY PROGRESSION FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS

7.1In coming to make a pay recommendation in the teacher’s appraisal and in coming to make a decision on that recommendation or on an appeal in relation to that decision,a holistic consideration of all of the following evidence and sources of guidance will be given:

Evidence

  • The teacher’s self-review
  • The appraiser’s mid-year and final reviews
  • Information from line manager
  • Data tracking student progress
  • Lesson observations
  • Learning walks
  • Book reviews
  • Work scrutiny
  • Homework tracking
  • Examination results
  • Teacher’s attendance and punctuality record
  • Any additional evidence supplied by the teacher

Sources of guidance

  • Job description for each role held by the teacher
  • The Teachers’ Standards
  • Relevant OFSTED grade descriptors
  • The expectations of each role held by the teachergiven the teacher’s length of time in the profession
  • Any career progression benchmarks in the Appraisal Policy

7.2Our appraisal process will include an appropriate mechanism to ensure that performance objectives and pay recommendations are moderated and that assessments of performance are fair and consistent.

7.3Each School shall ensure that those making pay recommendations and decisions are trained or experienced in such matters and have sufficient time to undertake the process.

7.4We shall budget on the basis that all staff will progress one increment.

7.5As from 1 September 2014 there shall be no incremental pay rises on the Main or Upper Pay Range for Classroom teachers unless justified by relation to performance. There may be cost of living increases for each point on the Main Pay Range or the Upper Pay Range but this cannot be guaranteed and will be determined by the Trust each year by reference to the content of the STPCD and the general funding position.

8.THE MAIN PAY RANGE

8.1Teachers on the Main Pay Scale will be paid as follows in 2013-14:

M1 / 21,804
M2 / 23,528
M3 / 25,420
M4 / 27,376
M5 / 29,533
M6 / 31,868

8.2The same figures shall then be used for the Main Pay Range for any subsequent pay decisions, subject to any increase in the value of the points from September 2014.

9.MAIN PAYRANGE PROGRESSION 2014/15

Evidential expectation

9.1As a teacher progresses through the Main Pay Range their objectives will naturally become more challenging and judgements will need to be based on secure evidence of

a)Increasing quality of teaching and learning

b)An increasingly positive impact on student progress

c)An increasing impact on wider outcomes for pupils

d)Improvements in specific elements of practice identified in the appraisal process to the teacher

e)An increasing contribution to the work of the School

f)An increasing impact on the effectiveness of colleagues and staff.

g)Increasingly good behaviour management

h)Increasingly positive use of assessment for learning and differentiation

Standard progression

9.2A teacher will onlyprogress one point on the Main Pay Range if all of the following conditions are met in relation to the appraisal cycle:

  • The teacher has fully metall the Teachers’ Standards
  • The teacher has substantially or significantly met all objectives set for the appraisal cycle
  • The teacher has brought about expected levels of pupil progress as set out in the teacher’s appraisal objectives.
  • The teacher has delivered teaching which is at least consistently good or better in the light of all evidence
  • The teacher has not been issued with a formal disciplinary or capability warning during the year.

A teacher who has not met all of these conditions will not be entitled to an incremental pay award on the Main Pay Range.

Exceptional progression

9.3A teacher may exceptionallybe progressed two points on the Main Pay Range if:

a)The teacher has fully met all the Teachers’ Standards for two consecutive years.

b)The teacher has fully met objectives set for two appraisal cycles

c)The teacher has brought about better than expected levels of pupil progress as set out in the teacher’s performance objective, for two consecutive years. For decisions in September 2014 one year’s evidence will be acceptable.

d)The teacher has delivered consistently outstanding teaching for two years

e)The teacher has not been issued with a disciplinary warning during the previous two years.

f)It is financially sustainable to award such a pay rise.

10.THE UPPER PAY RANGE

10.1Teachers on the Upper Pay Range will be paid as follows in 2013/14:

U1 / 34,523
U2 / 35,802
U3 / 37,124

10.2Round 13 applications for the threshold by teachers on Main Pay Scale 6 will continue to be completed by 31 October 2013.

10.3From 1 September 2013 any qualified teacher within the School(even if not yet at M6) mayapply to be promoted to the Upper Pay Range. Only one such application may be made in an academic year.

10.4If a person is placed on the Upper Pay Range that promotion will take effect immediately unless further evidence is required to support the application, e.g. examination results, when it will be implemented from the date the evidence is presented. It will not be backdated to the start of the academic year or the date of the application.

10.5Applications should be made to the Headteacher in writingwith whatever supporting evidence the teacher considers appropriate. The Headteacher should assess the application within 20 working days.

10.6The Headteachermayonly allow a teacher to join the Upper Pay Range if the Headteacher is satisfied that:

a) the teacher is highly competent in all elements of the Teachers’ Standards and

b) theteacher’s achievements and contribution to the School are substantial and sustained.

To pass these two tests, the teacher must demonstrate clear and secure evidence covering a continuous period of at least 2 yearsof:

  • All their teaching being at least consistently ‘Good’ with a significant proportion ‘Outstanding’
  • Excellent depth and breadth of knowledge, skills and understanding of the Teacher’s Standards and of developing adherence to those Standards by colleagues
  • Consistently positive impact on pupil progress to achieve or exceed expected outcomes
  • Consistently positive impact on raising standards across the School, not just in the teacher’s own classroom
  • Effectively demonstratingto colleagues ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ teaching and learning practice and how to make a contribution to the work of the School
  • Effectively working collaboratively across the School in a wider role or outside the School
  • Effectively Leading and developing a team
  • Effective or innovative use of CPD opportunities

11.PROGRESSION THROUGH THE UPPER PAY RANGE

Evidential expectation

11.1A teacher’s objectives will become more challenging as they progress through the Upper Pay Range and judgements will need to be based on evidence of:

a)An increasing and sustained high quality of teaching and learning

b)An increasing sustained and consistently positive impact on pupil progress

c)An increasing sustained and consistent impact on wider outcomes for pupils

d)Improvements in specific elements of practice identified to the teacher

e)An increasing sustained and consistent contribution to the work of the School

f)An increasing sustained and consistent impact on the effectiveness of colleagues and staff

Standard Progression

11.2A teacher will be recommended for a one point rise on the Upper Pay Range if

  • They have remained highly competent and their contribution to the School has remained substantial and sustained for at least two consecutive years
  • The teacher has been assessed under the appraisal process as having fully and consistently met the Teachers’ Standards for two consecutive years
  • The teacher’s teaching has been outstanding for two consecutive years
  • The pupils taught by the teacher have made better than expected progress over two consecutive years
  • The teacher’s objectives have been fully met for two consecutive years
  • The teacher has not been issued with a formal warning under either the disciplinary or capability process (not overturned on appeal) during the previous two years.

A teacher who has not met all of these conditions will not be eligible to an incremental pay award on the Upper Pay Range.

No exceptional progression

11.3A teacher may not progress more than one point on the Upper Pay Range every two years.

12.LEADING PRACTITIONERS

12.1.The Leading Practitioner Range for 2013-14 will have the same 18 points as L1-L18 on the Leadership Pay Scale. A Leading Practitioner will be appointed on a five-point range on thatrange.

12.2Any Advanced Skills or Excellent Teacher should be converted to Leading Practitioner roles on the basis if their post has the primary purpose of modelling and leading improvement of teaching skills, to the equivalent point and five point range on the Leading Practitioner Range unless the School wishes to award an incremental pay rise based on performance in 2012/13.