Model Pay Policy for Schools

When I sent you a revised Model Pay Policy on 15th April 2005, I said that I would need to make further changes, early in this academic year, to reflect in particular the demise of Management Allowances and the introduction from January 2006 of Teaching and Learning Responsibility Payments (TLRP's).

These further revisions have now been made and the September 2005 version of the Model Pay Policy can be accessed via the hyperlink. I commend it to you for adoption as a document which has been subject to consultation locally with the recognised Teacher Professional Associations, Unison, GMB and T&G in respect of support staff. Changes are a reflection of the revised DfES Model Pay Policy which itself was subject to consultation with the Rewards and Incentives Group (RIG) partners as signatories to the National Agreement on Workforce Reform. As the General, Municipal and Boilermakers (GMB) and the Transport and General (T&G) trade unions were co-signatories, I have also consulted their regional officials.

Heads and Governing Bodies should make arrangements to consult staff and unions at school level and this is vital when changes occur.

In more detail, the main changes are as follows:-

• Some tidying up, mainly updating and clarification and recognising that one or two paragraphs were defunct.
  
• An enlarged and more detailed section of Special Educational Needs which Special Schools in particular may welcome.
  
• The phasing out of Management Allowances.
  
• The introduction of Teaching and Learning Responsibility Payments.
  
• The addition of a section of Performance Pay, reflecting statutory guidance options are given within the policy so that the Governing Body can decide whether to adopt this statutory guidance as part of the Pay Policy.
  
• Reference to an Appendix for you to attach your staffing structure (you will doubtless remember the requirement to complete and publish this by 31st December 2005). You may elect to use the Model Structure Builder issued by Children's Services Finance for this purpose.
  
• Reference to an Appendix for you to set out the School's Implementation Plan for the introduction of TLRP's.
  

The Pay Policy is within the Schools Personnel Handbook, under Section 9, Appendix C. This will enable you to insert this directly into your Personnel Handbook if you print it off manually.

Should you wish to seek advice or clarification on any aspect of the model policy, please contact your Personnel Officer or Consultant in the first instance.