40 PAY AND CONDITIONS
as pupils’, it must not be based on crude targets.” So, what does it actually mean for the improvement of teaching in schools and how will the change affect school business managers?
CONSIDERABLE RESISTANCE The argument for the new system is that it will improve conditions for teachers and reward excellence, thereby raising performance across the profession. Teaching unions don’t see it this way and have warned it will demoralise teachers and be as likely to produce salary cuts as increases. The NaSUWT’s general secretary, Chris Keates, says: “From now on the only pay existing teachers can expect is the salary they are on. New entrants to the profession can aspire no higher than their starting salary. at a time of severe economic austerity and where there is already stark evidence that schools are using existing pay flexibilities to deny teachers pay progression, however well they perform, the claim that these recommendations will result in good teachers being paid more is risible.” From the position of schools, there is a concern that fragile,
low-performing institutions will struggle to attract the best teachers and leaders. If it is the case that it is harder to be judged successful if you work in a low attaining school, whether as a leader or a classroom practitioner, there is a risk that some teachers will consider it easier to be judged successful and receive the benefit of performance-related pay if they work in a successful school, at the outstanding end of the performance spectrum. accordingly, there may be a danger that the more ambitious and aspirational teachers will gravitate towards the ‘good’ schools, rather than the struggling schools, in order to maximise the chance of a higher salary. Tracey Gray, chair of the National association of School
Business Managers’ board of trustees and director of support services at The Walbottle Campus, doesn’t see this as a big problem. “Where the budget is tight, schools may be limited to a certain budget and therefore may not attract experienced teachers. However, the challenge would be for early recruitment and a maximum scale identified so that potential candidates can see that the school is being transparent.” She opines that with good quality training programmes for new staff, schools can ensure they train highly-skilled newly qualified teachers or teachers up to M6 level. “Where there is a clear vision, clear improvement and a drive for continuous professional development, teachers will want to join and may perhaps be prepared to accept the salary on offer if they see the benefit for the future.”
FREEDOM TO RECRUIT
Gray argues that the new system is much better for all concerned than the cripplingly rigid pay structure it has replaced, with schools and agencies forced into a tight spot when dealing with supply teacher provision. “every agency we work with met with us to look into how they could try and reduce the costs for schools,” she recalls. “The outcome was that although they could provide us U3 teachers for up to 12 weeks on a reasonable rate of, say M6, that after the 12 weeks their hands were tied and they had to pay the rate set by legislation.” This meant the school was constrained by its budget and had difficulty affording to pay a U3 teacher from supply. It was also bad news for some supply teachers, who wanted to work for the school and were prepared to operate on M6, but weren’t allowed to and risked having less work because schools couldn’t afford to pay the highest rates. Gray thinks the new legislation will ease the recruitment process for all concerned: “The new regulations for September will enable the school to negotiate with supply agencies when looking for staff. We will not be put into the embarrassing position of not being able to afford a teacher but will be up-front and say exactly what the school budget is able to commit.”
The freedom to reward excellence, through salary adjustments, is one that the majority of school leaders will embrace, but of course, the changes will bring some teething problems with them. It’s vital to take appropriate legal and Hr advice to ensure all policies are drawn up correctly and implemented with minimal disruption. as Gray puts it, “change is here to stay – we just have to manage it effectively”.
september 2013 \
www.edexec.co.uk
Where there is a clear vision, clear improvement and a drive for continuous professional development, teachers will want to join
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